Why I Make Time for BookGive

As a consultant and new mom, my time is incredibly valuable.

Between newborn snuggles, midnight feeds and helping a tiny human integrate into the world, I take calls and meetings with clients to get people to listen to what brands have to say.

So, as you might imagine, free time is a bit of a luxury these days – but when I do have some to give, I volunteer at BookGive. This year, my consultancy is providing BookGive with pro bono communications and marketing support. Rather than simply donating my time, I’m able to offer professional skills: storytelling, brand building and helping connect the dots between community and mission.

For me, this work has never felt more fulfilling – especially when I discovered the impact that a nonprofit run almost entirely by volunteers can have on the people it serves.

With the dedicated assistance of more than 80 active volunteers donating thousands of hours, BookGive has distributed more than 593,000 books to nearly 100 community partners to date. Those books stock shelves at detention centers, schools, clinics, shelters and other community organizations, inspiring individuals and families through the power of books. BookGive has also maintained a free book room at its headquarters on Lowell since 2022, which provides regular opportunities for readers to visit and pick up their next page-turner.

Knowing I am contributing to a larger purpose in this city is incredibly rewarding, but perhaps especially so as a child of immigrants and someone who has always valued literacy. Growing up in a multilingual home taught me early on that language isn’t simply a way to communicate. It’s a way to understand people, navigate the world and find belonging.

Literacy gives people tools to understand information, question it, form ideas and participate in their communities, which in turn creates educated, informed and empowered communities. Those are the communities I want to live in – and raise my child in. That starts with organizations like BookGive that make books accessible and create unity around the shared belief that literacy matters.

My time may be valuable, but so is the success and longevity of the place I live in. If you have a few hours, a skill you can share, or simply a love of books, consider joining us by becoming a volunteer, here.

I hope to see you at the station.

Jennifer (Jen) Hashem Ip is the owner and principal consultant of Velocity Public Relations, L.L.C., where she elevates mission-driven brands through powerful, high-impact storytelling and communications strategies. She has spent the last twelve years in the industry, with experience serving the public, nonprofit, private, and higher education sectors. In addition to volunteering for BookGive, Jen enjoys spending time with her husband and son visiting the shops, restaurants and parks of Denver. She is also an avid reader and writer, and enjoys lifelong learning through the lens of travel and studying world language.