• Home
• /
• UAE

Volunteer, donate books for a cause

Dubai - The proceeds of the Book2benefit event, which displays books between Dh5 to Dh50, will be donated to the Emirates Red Crescent Society.

Wondering what to do with books that have been gathering dust at home?
A group of UAE residents are looking for book donations, from individuals and companies, to collect and sell over 20,000 books in September. The group is also looking for volunteers to help during the two-day book sale drive, that will take place at Al Barsha's Novotel Hotel on September 8-9. 
The event aims to highlight the importance and benefits of having a regular reading habit, especially for children. Books2Benefit also aspires to play a great role in encouraging a regular reading habit among all age groups. The proceeds of the Book2benefit event, which displays books between Dh5 to Dh50, will be donated to the Emirates Red Crescent Society.
Ursula Manvatkar, founder of Medulla and the primary organiser of Books2Benefit-UAE, said philanthropy work should be part of everyone's life. "Small gestures count and can benefit many out there," said Manvatkar, noting that the event will target different themes and audiences every year, to cover as many communities as possible.
In 2015, the drive saw over 25,000 books collected, and 18,000 first and second-hand books sold, which raised Dh51,722 for Al Manzil Special Needs Centre in Sharjah. The first edition had over 200 volunteers, who helped make the event a success. 
The charity sale will have something for fans of every genre including, fiction, self-help, children's books, Arabic language books, Islamic texts, school textbooks, horror, thrillers, biographies, science and technology, and Guinness Record books. Manvatkar is expecting more donations will be collected this year to reach a wider audience. 
How to donate

People wishing to donate books can reach out to several locations across Dubai, Sharjah, and Al Ain. Details of the collection points are available on the Books2Benefit-UAE's website: www. books2benefit.me, and social media channels. Volunteers can also register online.
The collection of books is expected to continue at least two weeks before the main event on Sept 8, 2017.

Details of the event
What: Book charity sale
Where: Novotel Hotel, Al Barsha
When: September 8 and 9 (Friday & Saturday)
Why: Proceeds to go to Emirates Red Crescent
Required: Donated books and volunteers
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com