Things I Didn't Know Once

I am the oldest of two children and due to a combination of late-blooming parents and geography, always envied kids who got hand-me-downs. Now, decades later, I find myself sorting through donated books of all shapes, sizes, ages and conditions, cleaning them as I gently as possible. If it’s a colouring or activity book, I make sure none of the pages have been marked up and then add crayons, or pencils and a small, donated toy and place the lot in a Ziploc bag. And, for the first time in my life, I find myself wondering what it must be like to never have toys that are untouched by another’s hands.

I have learned a number of things volunteering at the Toy Rescue Mission, helping to sort and prep books for parents to pick out and give to their children for birthdays, Christmas, etc. Most recently, I learned that even those without a penny to spare wait until the last minute to Christmas shop. I have learned that there are levels and levels of used and only the best go on the shelves here – the closest possible to new. I learned that are numerous agencies that have their own uses for pre-owned books, where those that aren’t quite perfect can go and be loved, appreciated, read and possibly chewed on by small children.

I didn’t know that there are agencies that take the books that are in poorer condition than that and either physically recycle them, or send them to places such as Africa where books in virtually any condition are a treasure because of their rarity. I do know now that this agency that survives on donations of goods, money and time, with a few grants here and there, but without any public funds, serves far more than itself. That the dispersing of books to homeless shelters, daycares and needy schools is repeated with donated toys, clothing and anything else that passes through the doors and cannot be used by the Toy Rescue Mission. That nothing is wasted that can be used by someone, somewhere.

I now know, in much more visceral sense than I did before, how valuable this place is. How many people it serves and in turn, how many serve it. And I learned that there is much gained by volunteering.