The Brightside: Lemonade Bookstand
WICOMICO Co., Md. – Using books to heal humans. That’s the goal of a local non-profit called the Lemonade Bookstand.
Elle Rowe, who is on the Board of Directors for Lemonade Bookstand said, “We provide bibliotherapeutic tools to children with mental, social, emotional, physical disabilities.”
Fran Eshleman, the Board President said, “It’s all about just helping them develop the verbal skills to communicate maybe how they’re feeling and help build their emotional and psychological health.”
This non-profit was founded by a woman named Brittney Glenn who has a child with a mental disability.
Eshleman said, “Of course whenever you have a child with any disability you’re always looking for emotional support, some therapeutic tools that you can try.”
We’re told Glenn was inspired to create this non profit when she realized there were no bibliotherapeutic tools available to children on the Eastern Shore.
Eshleman said, “She figured, ‘You know what? I’m going to start doing it with my child on my own and see how it goes’ and she really started to see like very quickly the benefits of bibliotherapy with her own child and that’s kind of how the whole brain child of Lemonade Bookstand came to be, her child actually kind of named it.”
Here’s how it works. There are several Lemonade Bookstands set up across the Eastern Shore that are filled with donated books. One is located at South Bound Alley, one is located at Ugly Pie, and one is located at the Healing Arts Center of the Eastern Shore. People can pay a dollar or more to take home a book, or two or three. The money collected will then be used to buy books that are specifically tailored to children that are taking part in the Lemonade Bookstand program.
Rowe said, “We try to individualize the bundles to each child and its great to know that the children are appreciating it and see themselves in what they’re getting.”
In each bundle, a child will receive about three books and their parents will receive an important note.
Rowe said, “It will explain each item in the bundle and why we’ve added that item and how the parents can use it to help their children.”
The Lemonade Bookstand has been in operation for less than a year now, but we’re told they’ve already gotten some incredible feedback.
Eshleman said, “The first time we sent out our bundles, [we] got emails back from parents saying like, ‘My child was just excited to come home and have a box with like his name on it or her name on it.'”
Rowe said, “One parent actually told us that now her child actually wants to read to her and brings books to her.”
Ultimately, this form of therapy doesn’t only benefit the children, it helps the parents as well.
Rowe said, “It’s not just about the child, it’s about the whole family becoming involved in their therapy.”
In a few months, the Lemonade Bookstand will begin looking for new applicants for 2020. Open enrollment is set to begin in February, you can apply online to take part in the program at www.lemonadebookstand.org
The Lemonade Bookstand will be taking part in Giving Tuesday this year. You can find their wishlist by clicking here.
