ALDERSON W.Va. (WVDN) – The holidays are all about giving, and Alderson’s Store has been giving brand new West Virginia-related books to Alderson and Ronceverte Elementary School students with the help of the community for eight years now.
“It’s actually quite a job on top of just running a retail store during the holiday season, but it’s definitely a labor of love,” said Sarah Alderson, whose family has been operating the store since her great-grandfather founded it in 1887. This year the deadline is early because of the timing of Christmas break, and Alderson’s still has 130 books to gather before they’re given away in the schools on Thursday, Dec. 19.
“We commit to this project each year now because we really believe in it,” Alderson explained. “The stories I hear from teachers, parents, and the children themselves about what it has meant to them is what keeps me going. There’s the girl who came in and told me about the book she read that’s based on our store, the boy who is now in middle school who came in and donated a book because he wanted to give back to another child, the families who come in and give together as a Christmas tradition, the teacher who told me what it’s like to tell her students about each book’s background as they choose which one they want, the authors who donate their books, the parents who tell me about titles their children have received and loved…the list goes on and on. I try to share the stories with customers who give, and I often hint to the schools that I’d love to be there for the giveaway or at least get photographs. But it’s a busy time for all of us. The main thing that I want is for people who help us to know what they’re doing is really meaningful. These books tell West Virginia stories and showcase West Virginia authors. Our children don’t often get to read books that they can relate to in that way, and some have never received a brand new book to call their own.”
The books range from picture books to chapter books to cover a wide range of ages and reading levels in elementary school, and the prices of books range from $2.95 to $18.95 with most around $10 or less. There are books by authors with local ties, books about local people and places, West Virginia history books, books written by former students either while in school or after, biographies of famous West Virginians and more.
“People come in and pick out books or give cash, a check or donate by credit card. They can also call the store at 304-445-2851 to give by phone, message the “Alderson’s Store” Facebook page, or donate by PayPal at j.m.aldersonsstore@gmail.com or Venmo at @aldersonsstore. They can even still mail a check to Alderson’s Store, P.O.Box 594, Alderson, WV, 24910.” said Alderson. “Basically, with a little over $1000 now, we can make it work to finish up. And since it’s the last minute, even giving monetary donations in the next few days after will help a lot. We’ve had a tough year ourselves with sudden costs like a new roof, new water line, new plumbing, etc. It takes more than many people realize to keep up a historic building, not to mention keeping a small business going in a rural area. But just staying open and continuing to serve our customers after generations is another tradition we’re committed to continuing.”
Alderson’s Store is located at 320 Monroe Street South in Alderson, and they are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. every day until Christmas. You can also follow the book drive at “Alderson’s Store” on Facebook or search “Alderson’s Store” online to see Facebook posts even if you aren’t on it. Alderson posts daily updates and promises to follow up afterward.
“The only way we can really do this each year is with the help of our community,” said Alderson. “That actually includes people from all over now who follow us on Facebook. If they know us or have any connection to the area, they love to help out. I have a customer on Staten Island who calls up and donates each year, as well as friends of mine from school, people who went to these particular schools, retired teachers and librarians who know how important reading is, you name it. This project helps children, schools, teachers, parents, West Virginia authors and illustrators, West Virginia book publishers and distributors, and more. Many people donate each year, and some have multiple times this year. I appreciate each and every one of them more than I can say. And anything else anyone can give right now would be wonderful. We want to keep this going. What better gift to give at Christmas than something special that these local children will always remember.”
