Luanne Kustra has just gotten done with the big annual Stuff the Bus food drive on Saturday, but she is not resting yet. She will be amping up next week for another drive, this one for books. Luanne and her daughter Katie started collecting books at the same time as the food drive. Katie, who was in sixth grade at the time, noticed that there was a lack of reading material in the donated gifts for children at New Opportunities.
It wasn’t really too long after that when New Opportunities contacted Luanne and Katie, asking them to consider a change to the format.
For Christmas this year, they have set a goal of collecting 500 books, but they are starting at zero. Kustra says they have delivered all that had come in to date, so she is organizing a drop-off point at the Godfather’s location on Highway 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14. She is hoping that people will be generous and swing in to drop off new or used books during that time. The books will then be delivered to New Opportunities on Monday, Dec. 18 to be wrapped and included with the other gifts. Kustra says she spoke with the local library and with staff members at New Opportunities about the value children and adults alike see in the gift of reading, and there is nothing that compares to the way a child’s face light’s up when they get to open those pages and explore other times and places. In addition to the upcoming drive, Kustra says anyone can call her about donations or bring them to her house at any time. Details on how to contact her are included below.
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Contact Luanne Kustra by phone: 712-790-5244
Drop off at her home: 1819 North Hyland Drive—across from St. Paul Lutheran Church
