Books to Patients PDX believes in words beyond walls. We are a volunteer-run organization in Portland, Oregon, that provides donations of reading materials to people living with mental health issues in institutionalized settings, because a book, at the right moment, can change a life — and everyone deserves access to books. Oregon State Hospital (OSH), like many mental health centers, has a scarci
ty of reading materials made available to patients. Many of the people who reside at the OSH Portland location are there on court orders for extended periods of time, and some even have no visitors. Currently, our donation efforts are focused towards providing books to patients at OSH. HOW YOU CAN HELP:
• DONATE — We accept donations of books (all ages), magazines, literary journals, activity books, and zines, as well as acoustic guitars in good condition. Donations of non-wire-bound blank journals are especially encouraged. We accept all reading materials, as long as they are not rated “R,” “X” or “M” (basically, no pornographic content). We also appreciate donations of clean plastic or metal milk crates, as they will assist in storage and transport. CURRENT DONATION SITES:
***St. Johns Booksellers, located at 8622 N. Portland, OR 97203, right in the heart of St. Johns, are offering a discount to people who donate and purchase a book there, too!
***Bitch Media, located at 4930 NE 29th Ave Portland, OR 97211, has a donation bin set up in its Lending Library right off NE Alberta.
• SPREAD THE WORD — Please share this idea to help spread community awareness and increase momentum for donated materials.
• HOST A DONATION SITE — If you are the owner of a cafe, bookstore, mental health/ wellness or community center, and are interested in helping coordinate or host a donation site, please contact us directly at: [email protected].
