NORFOLK, Va. — A bookstore in Norfolk gave away 151,000 free books last year, igniting local children's imagination and fostering a lifelong love for reading and learning.
When Samantha Hansen's children walk through the doors of the Big Free Bookstore in Norfolk's JANAF Shopping Yard, they’re like kids in a candy store.
"They love coming in, finding new books, books we've never even heard of, they find here," Hansen said.
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The Hansens are regulars at the bookstore, a fact that makes mom happy.
"We read books at lunchtime. We read books at dinner time. We do bedtime stories, we do chapter books. And I love seeing them get sucked into the same world I was sucked into as a kid," Hansen said.
That’s the goal, according to Dr. Jennifer Goff, executive director of Reach Inc., the nonprofit that runs the bookstore.
"I like to consider ourselves the Food Bank of books, and the big way that we do that is making sure that the ingredients are out there," said Goff, whose effort has turned into a recipe for accidental success.
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"We opened our doors on Black Friday of 2020 inside Military Circle Mall," Goff said.
The bookstore was only supposed to be open for a month as a holiday pop-up, but the community loved the service, so they stayed. Last year, the Big Free Bookstore gave out 151,000 books worth $1.7 million. Dr. Goff says it’s like a library, but better.
"I think the ability to be able to pick something out that's brand new that nobody else has owned, and be able to take that home with no strings attached is a special thing for a lot of families right now," Goff said.
Aside from the store, Reach also runs a warehouse that distributes books to other charities and community groups. Dr. Goff believes this kind of outreach is key to a child’s social and emotional development.
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"I think one of the best things about a book is the ability to just travel when you might not have the ability to leave your neighborhood," Goff said.
Reading serves as a means of escape, building a child’s imagination. Parents like Samantha Hansen see that as one of the best gifts she can give her kids.
"As a parent, I do the best that I can for my kids, but I can't always afford to give them everything they want, but by bringing them here, I can at least put a book in their hand," Hansen said.
