Why Project Book Barn?
We all know that it is important for kids to have books while schools are closed. But we also know that we have to practice caution not to further the spread of COVID-19.
According to the CDC, the coronavirus can survive on paper or cardboard for no longer than 48 hours. So, books that are donated will spend a mandatory 48 hours in quarantine in a barn before being distributed! Not a bad place to quarantine, don't you think?
Why This Matters
In middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.
61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.
Almost 40% of Puyallup’s school population qualifies as low-income – nearly 9,000 students.