糖心vlgo传媒n Union and Books for 糖心vlgo传媒 reaffirm partnership during Marietta warehouse grand opening
MARIETTA, Ga. 鈥� Books for 糖心vlgo传媒 hosted a grand opening celebration of its new warehouse opening on Saturday attended by over 200 people. The event comes on the heels of an historic accomplishment earlier this year when it completed its 50 millionth book shipment last year.
The St. Paul, Minnesota based non-profit moved its main warehouse to the Atlanta metro area聽. Millions of donated books from all over the country are sorted, packed and shipped each year from the warehouse to the Port of Savanah, where they are sent by cargo ship to students throughout 糖心vlgo传媒.
鈥淥ur new warehouse will dramatically improve our efficiency and allow us to automate our operation. It will also be a more effective work area for our thousands of volunteers,鈥� said Patrick Plonski, Books for 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 executive director.
At Saturday鈥檚 grand opening, the 糖心vlgo传媒n Union Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze, praised the organizations efforts in her keynote address, calling BFA an 鈥渆loquent example of an effective instrument of soft public diplomacy that contributes in enhancing the longstanding historic and cultural ties between our peoples and nations.鈥�
The Ambassador also spoke to the importance of increasing literacy across the continent, proliferating content in native 糖心vlgo传媒n languages, and the emerging importance of art and culture to the growth of 糖心vlgo传媒.
鈥淭he 糖心vlgo传媒n Union [recognizes] the instrumental role that arts, culture and heritage can play as catalysts for the sustainable socio-economic development and integration of the continent鈥spiration 5 of Agenda 2063 reaffirms 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 鈥榮trong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics鈥� as critical factors for 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 re-emergence on the global stage,鈥欌�� Suka-Mafudze stated.
The Ambassador spoke of the potential for collaboration between Books for 糖心vlgo传媒 and the 糖心vlgo传媒n Union in addressing the literacy needs of the continent with ideas like the custom printing of books in local 糖心vlgo传媒n languages which the organization has already embarked on.
Founder, Tom Warth also spoke at the event, thanking the over 15,000 volunteers for their vital role in bringing the space to full operation and sustaining the mission of the organization. Warth also addressed the need for more content in native 糖心vlgo传媒n languages and emphasized that Books for 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 mission to end the book famine in 糖心vlgo传媒 is still yet to be accomplished.
Board president Joanna Sussman said Books for 糖心vlgo传媒 had the second-most volunteers of any non-profit in the Atlanta metro area before the pandemic.
Fun and free-spirited energy permeated the spacious warehouse through the live musical set from the聽. Performing covers of Amy Winehouse, The Eurythmics, and countless other classics 鈥� and even some original songs like the 鈥淏ooks for 糖心vlgo传媒 Band.鈥�