Kayla’s Donation Project
Why I Donated?
When we turn on the news, children and young adults get arrested for shoplifting or a serious crime like assault. How many times have you wanted to talk to those kids? Give them advice or asked how I can help? Almost every day, those thoughts come to my mind because I had friends and family members who were teenagers get into a lot of trouble when I was younger. Sometimes I wanted to help them but didn’t know how to. I picked this project because even though incarcerated kids knew there would be consequences to their actions, they might not have people to talk to. Even if someone is talking to them, that person is not familiar with that cry for help. While those young adults are locked down, the correctional facility might not help them, so they have to find a hobby instead. Most of them are going to pick up a book, draw or have limited recess time. That’s a good thing because that book might change that kid’s perspective about their future or that drawing might encourage them to be artists. I wanted to donate to incarcerated kids because I acted out but found something passionate about.
What did I donate? Why?
I donated 7 incredible books to the Georgia Department of Corrections: Library Sevices because I wanted to donate to one of my community’s correction facilities. I donated that many books because this is something new to me, and I wanted to make sure I got it correct the first time.
The Books I Donated.
A place I donated to:
http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/content/library#:~:text=Georgia’s%20prison%20library%20system%20relies,Building%20at%202271%20Vinson%20Highway.
This link tells you where to send your books and also gives a description of why donating helps.
The advice I would give to people who donate.
When donating, I would give away books that you yourself would connect with and do not give books that are just taking up space in your house that you need to get rid of. Another thing is to donate these books with the intention to inspire them, not to judge them.
Books I recommend donating.
New Books I would Donate.
- The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
- Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
- The Star Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney
- Letters To a Young Brother by Hill Harper
- The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
- Queenie by Candice Carty- Williams
- The Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner
- The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
- Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
- Harry Potter Book Series by J.K Rowlings
-
It’s OK Not to Be OK: Good Advice and Kind Words for Positive Mental Well-Being by Claire Chamberland
-
The Hilarious World Of Depression by John Moe
- The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
- The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
- The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri
- The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne
- The Kindest Life by Nancy Johnson
- Life After Death by Sister Souljah
- Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
Articles I would read about incarcerated youth.
- https://www.ajc.com/news/crime–law/violence-permeates-youth-prisons/7YRQTDEnIT20hGVEnjqybP/
- https://jlc.org/children-prison
- https://www.sentencingproject.org/issues/juvenile-justice/
- http://www.njjn.org/about-us/keep-youth-out-of-adult-prisons
- https://www.aecf.org/work/juvenile-justice/reducing-youth-incarceration/
All of these links were a part of my research.
If you have any other links and donation centers or links in Georgia please share.
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