Today we celebrate the restoration of the Bellevue Hospital's Children's Library. In her latest HuffPost blog, Pam Allyn examines the necessity of stories, books and equitable learning opportunities to rebuild vulnerable communities after a catastrophe. We thank the Pearson Foundation's We Give Books and Reach Out and Read for partnering with us to replace the 7,000 books destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
"Hurricane Sandy caused many layers of destruction across New York, some too brutally seen under the harsh spotlight of loss, others more hidden, their own kinds of sadnesses becoming more visible as the weeks went on.
One of these sadnesses was the total destruction of the Bellevue Hospital's Children's Library. Due to severe flooding, a lovingly and painstakingly collected library of books was destroyed. When our friends at Bellevue let us know about this devastating loss it struck us at LitWorld to the core. We know how long it takes to build a library, and how much the child in the most vulnerable circumstances treasures the stories she loves. Those things are sorely missed when they are gone."