Friday, January 14, 2011

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

This just in from Kylie Griffin, and another SFR Brigader, Jess Anastasi, is involved with the committee.  As you've probably seen on the news, parts of Australia have been devastated by massive flooding.  This is your chance to do what you can for the libraries and communities of the impacted areas.  Permission to forward this information has been granted. 

If you or your local group or club can help donate books, wonderful!  If not, please consider posting on blogs and web sites, Twitter, Facebook, and forwarding to your peers, loops and clubs.  (Feel free to link to this post.)  Let's all help in any way we can by getting the word out or contributing to the cause. 

*PERMISSION TO FORWARD*
Begin forwarded message:

As some of you may already know, a team from the RWA commitee has
started a drive for book donations...

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

We've all seen the devastation the recent Queensland floods have wrought
and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected
families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time
to come.

But...

We also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when
reality gets tough.

So…

With the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we've put together a
Romance Writers of Australia Flooded Communities Book Appeal.

What we need?

FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children's books, young adult books, genre
books, whatever – either new or in sparkling condition.

Please send them to:

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal
PO Box 1717
Noosaville Post Office
Noosaville BC
Queensland 4566
Australia

When to send them?

Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and
delivered to the appropriate libraries/schools/neighbourhood
centres/community centres in batches as soon as the communities are
ready to receive them. We'll be liaising with councils, libraries
and schools to ensure this is done appropriately. Feel free to pop a
note inside, or if you're an author, sign it.

Questions:

If you have a question about donations, email Jess Anastasi:
Jess@jessanastasi.com

If you work in a library / council / community centre / school in a
flood affected area, email Rachel Bailey: rachel@rachelbailey.com.au

And now for the extra detail...

I want to ask an extra favour of everyone on this list. If you feel
comfortable enough about it, and your publisher has some sort of
group/e-loop, please forward this on to them. In fact, forward it to
anywhere you think might be useful. Put it up on your blog or website,
talk about it on facebook and twitter. The more people who know, the
more books we're likely to get. We'll take donations from anywhere, so
long as people are willing to send those books!

If you have any questions, send me an email.

Thanks for your cooperation and support!

Jess Anastasi

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal Team

To read more about the Australian  Flood Disaster, see the News on the SFR Brigade web site or go to Kylie Griffin's blog.

5 comments:

  1. Lovely. I'll gather up a bunch of books from my local RWA chapter authors and get them shipped.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's so great, Marcella.

    I have a quite a few books I can donate to the cause. Hope to find a local group that's going to do a shipment.

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  3. Many thanks, Marcella & Laurie!

    I've asked Jess to look into overseas donations as postage is going to be a killer. Asked her if there's any way those interested, but unable to afford the expense of shipping can contribute, say with a donation to buy books. She's getting back to me.

    We have had members of RWOz affected - lost homes - but not sure if there's been any deaths yet. Communication has been cut to many communities and information is slow to get out (as you'd expect it to be).

    It will be weeks yet before we know just how many and who of our organisation has been hit by this disaster.

    Thanks so much in advance to everyone who helps out in any way - even just passing the word on will help tremendously.

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohh, I do know that fellow Brigaders Jess Anastasi, Mel Teshco, Eleni Konstantine, Erica Hayes, Sandra Allan and myself are all right, safe and well.

    Michelle de Rooy is in the area near Toowoomba and her town has been flooded and cut off (new food supplies have just made it in yesterday). Her family and house are on a hill and safe for the moment.

    I'm not sure about Tannia Franklin. Haven't been able to find out any information on her.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks so much for the update on the members, Kylie.

    So glad to hear most of you are doing okay, and I'll keep my fingers crossed all is well for Michelle and Tannia, too.

    ReplyDelete

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