The St. Joseph’s Indian School Bookmobile wrapped up a busy summer in mid-July. The tour broke records in every category!
The outreach made stops in 44 communities, crisscrossing South Dakota to serve nearly 2,300 children and adults. The Bookmobile crew distributed nearly 22,600 books free of charge, some of which were Native American books by Native American authors procured through Lily Mendoza of Rapid City, S.D.
The Bookmobile is also part of the school’s effort to connect with alumni and distribute food and dental hygiene supplies in communities across the state, including North Dakota. A record 85 alumni visited with Alumni Relations team members Andy, Krista and other staff and crew members.
In addition to Andy and Krista, many of the school’s staff volunteered this year, several of them family service counselors hoping to connect with families and students. Clay, an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame, participated in the six-week experience as a summer intern. Thuan, a seminarian for the Priests of the Sacred Heart, also joined the crew.
Clay shared this reflection on his experience:
Overall, the experience was very personally impactful. I learned so much about people in general. It was extremely nice to see that no matter what people have been through or how different they were from me, we still respected each other as people and were able to make some great friendships. This was especially true with kids. All it took was a joke or a compliment to make their day, and it was so nice to be able to do that. The Bookmobile is so much more than just giving out books, it’s giving people the dignity that they deserve.
Learn more about St. Joseph’s Indian School by visiting stjo.org today!
This is wonderful.
How do you get books to people throughout the year?
Hi there! This outreach only takes place in this manner throughout the summer. If people visit campus and have a need for books, we would pass them out in person.