Family donates books, blankets

Kindness can take many forms.

This year, kindness took the form of blankets and books, which were donated to the Wyoming Department of Family Services just before Christmas.

Sarah, Laura, Julia, Anna, Mary and Lily Harris made blankets and collected books to donate.

Laura, who spearheaded the project, said each one of them made a blanket, but they also had some donated.

The Books for Babies project started eight or nine years ago when their brother Mark Harris was building book shelves to earn his Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts. Laura said those book shelves were put in their garage, which they then started filling with books.

Soon, they realized they were going to need to donate books when the shelves starting filling up.

For the past eight to 10 years, the Harris family has taken books to the state offices, where they place them on shelves so children can take them home.

Each trip, which would occur about every other month. The Harris family would collect and then take about 100 books to the office.

“It depends on how busy we are and how many donations we get,” Sarah said.

The books taken vary in size, shape and subject, but they try to stick with books children up to fourth grade can read. No chapter books are collected.

“We just put them there,” Sarah said. “Often times they will come and read and then leave them.”

Just knowing they are helping out makes the family feel like their efforts are worth while.

“It makes me feel a lot better. I am helping out the community and kids in need,” Sarah said.

“It makes me feel good that I am making a difference,” Anna said. “Little things make a difference.”

“I am doing something for someone else,” Mary said.

Anna, Mary and Sarah are the readers in a family. Mary admitted it was one of her favorite past times.

As for the blankets, this idea also came from one of their brother’s scout projects. Seth Harris decided to make blankets and send them to Africa and South America for a Eagle Scout Boy Scout project. This project also started about 10 years ago.

Soon, they decided they could localize the donations when they found out that little babies were going straight into foster care after they were born at the hospital.

This year, the Harris’ worked on sewing eight fleece blankets. They all sewed the blankets at different times. One would sew, while another would turn the blanket inside out and hand sew the rest.

“It taught us how to sew better and learn new skills,” Laura said.

Not only did the girls learn sewing skills, but life skills.

“It taught me to open our hearts,” Anna said. “You feel bad for them because they probably not going to have the easiest life, but we can help give them a little comfort.”

Sarah, who is attending college at the University of Pennsylvania, credits their community service to her mother.

“My mom is really an incredible person,” she said. “She’s really emphasized service.” I’m really grateful for my mom.”

Over the years, the girls have volunteered in various ways, by sending shoes to Albania, Books for Babies or blankets for infants in need. Sarah said it was because of this community service her mother instilled in her that she would like to continue it.