Students from St. James Day School are the latest to respond to the need for books in the library of the newly opened W.T. Daniels Child Development Center.
The school project involved faculty and students and was meant to teach community volunteerism, said Carolyn Moore, president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
"This is a continuation of our original call to help stock the library," Moore said. "We call it the Book-It Project."
The sorority has been involved in the project from the beginning, Moore said. Delta Sigma Theta, whose focus is community service, meets across the street from the library at Canaan Baptist Church.
The W.T. Daniels building, at one time a school, stood abandoned for some time. In 2016, the Church of the Living God No. 4, whose congregation includes a member of the sorority, bought the building and began renovating it, working with the state and other groups to get the building up to code and ready for its new mission-a day care center for the community's children.
"That is when we sent our original call for help in stocking the library," Moore said. "We used various outlets, including an article in the Texarkana Gazette. The response to the call was absolutely outstanding. The police departments, fire departments, city administration, schools and various civic organizations responded, bringing us books as well as other material with which for kids to learn."
In response to the article, St. James Day School brought books, loading up vehicles with items to help stock the library.
Books continue to come in, Moore said.
"A big thank you to everyone who has helped out," Moore said. "It is refreshing to see so many still care about the education of our children. We are grateful to see so many come out to help us make this happen. But this is not about us. It is about the kids, public service, seeing a need and seeing it met."
Moore said the W.T. Daniels Child Development Center still needs computers, headphones and audiovisual equipment, among other things. Anyone who wishes to help may call the W.T. Daniels Child Development Center at 870-330-7340 or visit it at 223 E. Short 10th St., Texarkana, Ark.