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| Tree House Books will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a groundbreaking for a major expansion, an alumni event in the spring, the annual Philadelphia Day of Literacy in the fall, and – a first – a Champions of Literacy dinner and auction tentatively scheduled for October 23.
All of this is occurring as Tree House Books recovers from a disaster. On Christmas Day 2024 a burst pipe wiped out Tree House Books’ library. Tree House Books is the literacy hub for the North Philadelphia community. The timing was terrible. Just days before, Grant Champions Eve Prensky Roe and Carolyn Ashburn had dropped off a donation of about 180 books from Impact100 members. Many of those books were lost, as was almost all the existing Giving Library. In their usual proactive fashion, Tree House Books worked quickly to rebuild the library. By mid-January, they had raised nearly 75% of the funds needed to cover their losses. Michael Brix, Executive Director, said the love and support from the community was deeply moving and the response shows just how much our community values literacy and learning in North Philadelphia. Still, there is more to do. Tree House Books is seeking financial donations to offset anticipated rebuilding and remediation costs, as well as book donations. The books can be new or used, for children or adults, fiction or nonfiction. This is a great time to donate the books you have been piling up. To donate your books, schedule a drop off time by emailing Emma Goldstein at emma@treehousebooks.org. Drop offs are easy. Tree House Books is located near Temple University, and there is usually street parking nearby. We hope that by the time you read this, Tree House Books will be fully restocked and your books can be saved for a future donation. After the initial outpouring of support, the shelves will need to be restocked again. Your books will certainly come in handy.
As an Impact100 member, you are supporting Tree House Books already and making a difference. There is nothing quite like Tree House! You are helping this popular organization grow. Its building space at 1430 W. Susquehanna Ave. will be expanded above the current storefront into the second and third floors of the building. The additional space will be dedicated to K through 8th-grade programs, the growing teens program, and a new initiative targeting the specific needs of adults in the community. For more information or to get involved, please contact the Nonprofit Liaison Committee at nonprofitliaison@impact100philly.org. |