Four classmates in the Leadership class have stepped up he help those less fortunate. Seniors Genny Graham, Amanda Mumma, Kaitlin Jordan, and Megan Heimbaugh have taken the initiative to start a book drive for orphans around the world who may not have regular access to books.

“We are collecting books third hour and we’re going to donate them to the International Book Project and donate them to the orphanages overseas. For people that don’t have books to read. The drive starts now through Dec. 19,” Graham said.

The International Book Project is an organization that was founded in 1966 by Harriet Van Meter in an effort to increase world literacy. The company ship books overseas on a regular basis, providing books to underprivileged children worldwide, who may not be as fortunate as kids in the United States, who have books at their disposal every day.

“There are less fortunate people than us and we don’t realize that. I mean, it’s for the kids around the world. The kids in the United States who get to read and like to read would want the other kids to be like that too. They didn’t choose the position they’re in,” Jordan said.

Many students may not give any thought to the old books that are stashed in the back of their rooms or closets, collecting dust and not being touched. The book drive is a solution to this, calling for students to take those book they wouldn’t otherwise touch, and give them to someone who may not have access to many books at all.

“People don’t normally realizes how privileged we are and it would be good to give back to people who don’t have the privileges we do and since we don’t read a lot of those books that you have in your house, you should probably donate them,” Graham said.

The book drive is aimed at mostly books for younger readers, but most books are being accepted.

“We’re thinking mostly picture books, but anything that’s in good condition. Chapter books are fine. Not textbooks or anything like that, but stories, and simpler reading levels,” Graham said.

The class with the most books brought in also gets a prize. And the prize is one worth fighting for.

“Third hour, the class with the most books brought in gets a pizza party,” Graham said.