Celebrate National Literacy Month with Loving Library
Loving Library is a local nonprofit that was founded in 2020 by (then) 8-year-old, Anaik Sachdev. Loving Library inspires kids to spread kindness and give back to their community. Celebrating over 12,000 books donated, Loving Library maintains a continued commitment to improving mental health and well-being of communities in need one book at a time.
Since Loving Library’s inception during COVID, it has helped deliver books to underserved communities like pediatric hospital patients, mass shooting victims, child abuse victims, NICU families, refugee families and more.
To find out more about Loving Library, visit https://thelovinglibrary.org/.
Since Loving Library’s inception during COVID, it has helped deliver books to underserved communities like pediatric hospital patients, mass shooting victims, child abuse victims, NICU families, refugee families and more.
To find out more about Loving Library, visit https://thelovinglibrary.org/.
Transcript
00:00 Welcome back. Finding new ways to help the community can be hard, but Loving Library inspires kids to spread kindness and give back to their community.
00:11 I'm talking with Ambassadors Jovan Suchdave and Karina Kopekar about how they are helping one book at a time.
00:20 Welcome! I'm so excited you both are here. In a moment, Jovan is going to rap for us. I've heard a preview and it's pretty amazing. Spoiler alert. But first, tell us about Loving Library.
00:33 Loving Library's mission is to improve the mental welfare and general welfare of communities in need by giving them books. We want to inspire kids to give back to their communities as well.
00:43 You're 16. High school junior? High school sophomore. I know this is a really hard question, but what is your favorite book?
00:54 It's hard, but I think my favorite book is The Book Thief.
00:58 The Book Thief! That's a good one. What about you, Jovan? Do you have a favorite? I have two.
01:05 Percy Jackson and the Land of Stories.
01:08 Is that a series? Yeah. I think it's great for kids to get involved in a series. For example, are you guys Harry Potter people?
01:20 I read one and then I started getting scared a little bit. But my brother makes me watch the movies.
01:27 The movies can be a little bit scary. Why do you think it's important for kids to have access to books?
01:33 Books provide the perfect escape when you're sad or when you're going through something difficult in your life.
01:39 That's what the mission of Loving Library is all about. We've worked with the unhoused population, we've worked with Valley-wise patients, Afghan refugees.
01:48 We have so many different chapters in Arizona, California, Texas, even the UK. Books are just so important for providing that escape when you're going through something hard in your life.
01:58 I just got a chill hearing you say that. That was so beautifully articulated and so true.
02:03 Because when you're reading Harry Potter, like you said, you're right there. You're in a different place.
02:10 I love to read. I absolutely love it.
02:14 So when I read, I don't feel like, let's say I'm in my bed. I feel like the book is in England. I feel like I'm in England.
02:23 I don't feel like my brain doesn't focus on anything else. It just focuses on the book.
02:29 I totally get it. It's like a transportation device, right? You're in your bed one minute and the next minute you've taken a transatlantic flight to England and you didn't even have to buy a ticket.
02:42 Or wait in line. You can go anywhere in the pages of a book.
02:46 Tell us about your fundraiser coming up September 23rd.
02:51 Well, the fundraiser is it's going to be a glow party for all ages.
02:57 It's going to be called Light Up a Library and there's going to be glow painting and a raffle where there's going to be prizes like Travis Scott or Jordan's PlayStation and also like hotel stays and all that fancy adult stuff.
03:12 Oh, my gosh, Joven. I need to show up there for them. Hype sneakers because my kids love those.
03:18 You will not believe this, but Joven is actually as mature as he is, is only nine years old.
03:24 He is going to wrap us into break. Here's your mic, Joven.
03:29 Take it away, my friend. My name is Joven.
03:38 Don't mistake me for Jordan. I know I got the swag, but I don't brag.
03:42 Just put this in the bag. I'm the adapter of the refugee chapter. He gave them books and other goods.
03:50 We did good deeds like Robin Hood. I met a refugee named Amal, taught him colors and how to play ball.
04:03 I have a big heart. Don't forget to add books to our Amazon cart. Mic drop.
04:13 That was awesome. Thank you so much. Wow. That was amazing. Great job. I hope you come back and wrap for us again.
04:21 I'm going to do that event and and best of all, guess what? What? Me, Rena and her fellow ambassador, Gia, are going to be the MCs.
04:28 Yes. Right on. Don't miss this event. September 23rd. Arizona Daily.
04:33 You can buy tickets at thelovinglibrary.org. Thank you. And donate too.
04:37 And donate too. We will be right back.
04:40 [Music]
04:41 [Music]