Hi! I am Carrie Macmillan, the Social Media Coordinator here at STELLAA. I am thrilled to be guest-blogging about the organization here at Jenn’s Bookshelves!
To say that I love books is an understatement. I love them. I love them like they are people. Their stories, their characters, the way I can get lost in them or find something new and provocative to think about; books have me wrapped around their little proverbial finger. I love the way that books and the people who write and create them come together to present me with this lovely little package, waiting to be unwrapped and read, interviewed and analyzed. I love the way no two books are the same, even if what is on their pages is identical; the person reading, the time and place they pick up that book in, and what happens to them as they read all work to create a truly unique experience. I love the conversations that I have with books and about books and with myself about books. Yup – I am hooked.
This love is what drew me to STELLAA. I found myself happily drowning in my love for great books and the experiences I could have with them, when a retweet looking for volunteers led me to the STELLAA website. I hungrily read through the site and was moved by the goals of the organization.
So what is STELLAA? STELLAA, which stands for Stella’s Training, Education, Literacy, Learning and Academic Assistance, is a not-for-profit organization which works to provide literacy and educational tools to communities in many African nations. The ultimate goal: assist in the eradication of poverty from the ground-up, by making the resources and education available to members of these communities. STELLAA does this work by collecting donations , organizing book drives, and by offering training. The organization is run completely by volunteers. It depends on the offering of skills and passion, as well as books and funds, to do its work.
What this work really does though is offer opportunity. It is a small act, one that can grow and take hold and change lives. And these opportunities are almost endless – from the simple yet powerful ability to get lost inside stories, to the tools needed to create economic change.
One of my favourite things about the organization is the constant reinforcement that everyone is capable to contributing to this project, even if it feels small. Whether it is organizing a book drive, talking about the importance of access literacy and education, donating time or money to the project, or something as simple as a retweet looking for volunteers, every action helps and holds the same possibilities.
My hope is that my love for books can move through the conduits that STELLAA provides and eventually impact someone else in some positive way. I want to help create the opportunity for others to encounter and love the things that I feel so strongly for. That maybe I can help someone much like myself a world away lead a love affair with stories. I love volunteering for this organization because I love what I can pour into the work I do and I love knowing that my own small act will join with the acts of others and together become something much greater.
From myself and everyone at STELLAA, I want to say a huge thanks to Jenn for joining us on the blog tour! Please check out the posts by our other blog tour hosts and be sure to enter to win some great book prizes!
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