Roger DeSanti Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 My name is Roger DeSanti and I am a Scouter in Mandeville, Louisiana which is just north of New Orleans. I am also a Professor of Literacy Education at the University of New Orleans - I help teachers to understand reading and writing so they can teach children. Because of the storm there is a need for books. We need story books for the children to read. Textbooks and school books are doing OK but there is a need for childrens literature. We would very much like for each child to own at least one book and so I am asking for you to send what you can. Because both US mail and private delivery services are still spotty at best in New Orleans, I am asking that you send them to my home rather than to the university. I will personally transport them to the city and see to it that they are distributed to the children. Thank you for being Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, and Kind as you help other people at all times. Yours in Scouting, Roger DeSanti 6011 Walden Place Mandeville, LA 70448-7047 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndaigler Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Roger, WELCOME!!!! I wish you luck with your efforts! Thank you for them!! With all due respect, I would be more comfortable shipping books to your local council office. There are probably others who are just as cautious and it might simplify your efforts in the event you get a large response. We might even be able to get our local councils to support your efforts and ship boxes. Could this be possible?? Is there a similar program specifically for Scouts: equipment, uniforms, handbooks, etc.? jd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t158sm Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I'll get in touch with my DE and see what we might be able to set up in our council. Ditto on what JD said I'm sure the effort would be hastened by sending what's needed from council to council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DeSanti Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 Thanks for your responses and advice. One of my fellow Scouters here in Mandeville is taking care of uniforms, handbooks, merit badge pamphlets, etc. As of Thursday nights Roundtable, we have taken care of everyone in need. Thank you for asking. Here is the situation. New Orleans is covered by the Southeast Louisiana Council and they were hit by the storm along with the rest of the New Orleans area and they have their hands full as it is so I cant see asking them to take on this project. The council for where I live is the Istrouma Area Council and I am sure they would cooperate but they are in Baton Rouge Louisiana which is 66 miles in the wrong direction. Perhaps we could do the formalities council to council and have the books go directly to my home. I would love to have a problem with space for the books. I am confident that our home, and the neighbors, will be large enough. I realize it is a bit abnormal to ask for the books to go to a home address but nothing here is normal since the storm. It is five and a half months after the storm and when I drive through the city on the way to the university I pass hundreds of homes that were each worth 400 -700 thousand dollars before the storm. ALL of them are empty. Almost all of them have had little or no work done to them. When I drive home at night it is almost as dark as a moonless night in winter camp. There are no traffic lights, no street lights, no porch lights, no house lights. Just blackness and a few sets of auto headlights. This was a thriving, upscale area in a major city and now it is a wasteland. The population of the town I live in, Mandeville (basically a bedroom community for New Orleans) doubled its population in two weeks because people need a place to be. If you would like to send the books council to council the address is: Roger DeSanti c/o Istrouma Area Council 9644 Brookline Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70809 If you would like to consider sending the books to my home you can check me out by going to the councils web site. 1. go online to the Istrouma Area Council website at iac-bsa.org 2. go down the left side to the 4th from the bottom and click on Smoke Signals. Youll find me mentioned in the following 7 issues of the council newspaper Vol. 2005- No. 3, page 1, see my name and picture as Silver Beaver recipient Vol. 2005- No. 2, page 1, my name, page 4 my son as a new Eagle Vol. 2005- No. 1, page 7, as course instructor Vol. 2004- Nos. 4, 3, 2, and 1 page 12 as district training chair You can also find me on the universitys web site at ed.uno.edu/~EDCI/ and click on Faculty. Once again, thank you for your interest. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Professor, thanks for your efforts and idea! While the caution expressed above is understandable in light of recent reports of widespread fraud in Katrina relief funds, I really can't see a huge profit motive in collecting used childrens' books. And the growing illiteracy problem among our young people is one of my pet peeves. I am going to forward your request to units in my district, my wife's elementary school, and the District Advancement chair. I see the makings of an Eagle project here! Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t158sm Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 From the first post in this thread "Because both US mail and private delivery services are still spotty at best in New Orleans" I'm not concerned with the possibility of fraud or any of the such. But if the effort comes about like I think it can, I simply believe the process would be better suited to involve the councils. The word is already being spread to the units in my district. I'm working on the people to contact at the council. (But I don't know how this will go as the Greater Alabama Council has what I'll just describe as difficulties.) Plus I've also gotten in touch with the area Girl Scouts, who've shown an interest in helping. Almost everyone else seems to be quite on this. If you have an interest in helping, I'm sure Mr DeSanti and the rest of us would appreciate knowing about the effort. "To help other people at all times." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DeSanti Posted March 11, 2006 Author Share Posted March 11, 2006 Thought I would offer an update. As of yesterday, more that 600 books have been sent to my home and moved to my conference room at the university for sorting. We anticipate distributing the books to the children within the next 2-3 weeks. Thanks to all who have helped: Lisa R Teresa H Kenny A Gale S Cathy L Julie A Anon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike F Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Roger, Are you still hoping for more books? -mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DeSanti Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 Yes, please. While I haven't set a formal goal, I am hoping to go well beyond the 600 to date. I would like to offer the children a choice and I would like to be able to offer them more than one book each. Then, after the children get to be the owners of some books, there are all of the teachers who also have nothing left. I would like to at least get each of them started toward a classroom library. That would allow for a "multiplier" effect in that each of those books is available to all of the children in the class. And while we are at it, might as well dream big, there are no school libraries left. While going on-line can deal with many/most non-fiction needs, it frequently takes a good old fashioned book to make a story or piece of literature special. I was hoping someone would ask Thank you Mike! YIS, Roger SR377 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndaigler Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Roger, We're putting together a local unit effort but it will be weeks before you get our books. In the meantime, here's an "out of the box" suggestion. I'm sure you've heard of Scholastic Book Club (and it's competitors -- Troll, etc.) I don't know if they've put together any effort yet, but perhaps (with a little nudge) they can put together a simple plan where teachers across the country can donate their Club Points for books to be sent to LA - maybe directly to the State Board of Ed or more locally to schools, etc. Might be worth a phone call or two . . . To every one else, we can each contact our local schools and create a similar push on a local level. There're millions of these book club points sitting out there looking for a purpose. jd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndaigler Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Roger, Here's another avenue that might be of help. . . http://bookbank.firstbook.org/nbb/get/nbbhome-ver2.asp jd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
va-scouter Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 I'd like to second the suggestion for contacting Scholastic and Troll, most companies like to get positive press by donating to worthy causes such as this. Also, I had a question, what age groups are you wanting books for? Preschool, elementary, middle school, high school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DeSanti Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Thanks for asking. We are focusing on elementary and middle school - grades 1-8. We appreciate your interest. YIS, Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DeSanti Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Thought I would offer another update. To date we have distributed 612 books. Those of you who sent books should have recieved a formal letter (by snail mail) of recogntion and thanks from the universtiy and the two charter schools where the books were distributed. The Scolastic and Troll idea is a great one and I intend to pursue it ASAP if I can not "hand it off" to someone. (The last 2 weeks have been solely dedicated to my mom who had unexpected by-pass surgery and she just got home 48 hours ago.) As folks rebuild and restore, the needs here are enormous. Books for children is NOT something being considered by anyone but us. YIS, Roger Roger DeSanti 6011 Walden Place Mandeville, LA 70448-7047 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronvo Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Roger, We cleaned out my son's room to paint and update and so have a box of books I will be sending you. Glad to hear your mother is getting to go home. Have dealt with similar issues with my mom past couple of years. Unfortunatly I am 600 miles from her and my brother has the burden. Will let others know of your book needs. YIS ronvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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