Newport residents picked up free books and supplies from local and out-of-state donors.
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — Over a month after Hurricane Helene devastated several East Tennessee communities, organizations are shifting their focus from immediate needs to other items that might have been lost in the flooding.
21st Century Packhorse Librarian is a local organization in three states that provides books and encourages a love of learning. The organization puts a new spin on its roots from the Great Depression, when women traveled on horseback, taking books throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
On Saturday, they hosted a “Books for Newport” event giving away hundreds of books to the community. Organizer Brittany Smith said it was important to give people an escape from the aftermath of Helene.
“Something that inspired me to be a part of this mission was as a child, I was very close to my grandfather and we would spend lots of time together reading and I just feel like when you have a book, it can bring a whole family together and take you away from whatever situation that you may be facing,” Smith said.
While the organization was created to help after Helene, Jennifer Ellison with the Cocke County Career to Cradle Coalition said it’s for everyone who loves books. She said it’s important for people, especially children to read as it has a big impact on their future success.
“Even beyond the impact of Helene, Cocke County has been struggling for many years. That’s why C5 exists to support these families and give them resources that they may not have access to,” Ellison said.
She added that C5 was able to give away books for all audiences thanks to several local and out-of-state donors including Cosby bookstore owner, Deann Hines.
“Business has slowed down considerably because we’re very close to I-40. You can’t go east and that’s expected to last for several years. In a few days, we’re getting ready to celebrate 20 years at our store and I haven’t even had a moment to think about that,” Hines said.
Despite her struggles, she attended the event and donated some of her books, saying the community had supported her during this time and it was her turn to give back.
The organization has several other events planned for this month. They’ll be in Chuckey on November 23rd and in Hampton on the 29th.
This post was originally published on here
