More Than a Book: Building Community Through Literacy
By jourdan hercsek
When it comes to making an impact in the local community, Brooklyn Book Bodega’s partners are an integral part of the equation. Our community partners help us reach people, create opportunities for programming, and ultimately get books in the hands of more kids across New York City.
One of these valued partners is the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). The CPC’s mission is to “promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities.” We recently sat down with Steve and Ben from CPC to reflect on the impact of our collaboration, from the importance of book access and ownership to the positive ways our partnership is supporting the communities they serve.
“We're a 60-year-old human service organization that really started in the 1960’s as a response to the influx of immigrants coming from Asia and China,” shares Steve. CPC was established to support families by providing access to childcare, language assistance, immigration legal services, and overall ensuring equitable access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
Today, CPC offers support across generations, from working with older adults and providing mental health resources to partnering with families of children with disabilities. “We serve about 80,000 New Yorkers annually across all 51 city council districts,” says Steve. “We really provide support and access for people in low-income and immigrant communities.”
With Brooklyn Book Bodega’s mission to increase the number of 100+ book homes for children ages 0–18 across NYC (particularly in book deserts and low-income communities) the partnership with the CPC was a natural fit. “Our experience working with Brooklyn Book Bodega absolutely aligns with our mission, vision and values,” shares Steve. With the average cost of a children’s book exceeding $20, access to books remains out of reach for many families. “We know books are pretty expensive,” adds Ben. “And a lot of families cannot afford to buy books.”
Through this collaboration, Brooklyn Book Bodega is able to reach more communities directly, helping ensure that children and families who need them most have access to free, high-quality books. As Steve says, “Having the resource and partnership with Brooklyn Book Bodega, we’re able to get books out to the community that may not necessarily have access to it. I know there are libraries, but I think sometimes there is something unique about owning your own book, books you like, and being able to revisit and reread.”
Ben adds, “What stands out for me is Brooklyn Book Bodega has a lot of different age ranges of books in terms of toddlers, elementary school, junior high school, and even high school.” By offering a diverse selection of books for all ages and reading levels, the partnership helps meet the varied needs of the communities CPC serves, ensuring every child can find a story that speaks to them and supports their growth.
When asked about what kind of impact they’ve seen from book giveaways and events we’ve partnered on, Steve shares, “You can see how popular the book giveaways are. I think in the Asian community, education is so critical. I think in all immigrant communities education is really critical to future success. As an immigrant myself, I picked up the English language through little books that we read, or literature that we read. So I think books are absolutely critical for folks to learn and grow and really be able to express themselves through words and through languages.”
Sharing his experience tabling as a volunteer with Brooklyn Book Bodega at CPC events, Ben alludes to the importance of choice, which is one of Brooklyn Book Bodega’s core values. “They get excited when they receive a book,” says Ben. “If they pick out a book, there are more chances that they’re going to keep it and read it for the long term.”
“I think having access, and the partnership with Brooklyn Book Bodega, it absolutely enables us to get resources and literature to children,” Steve concludes. “CPC’s mission and values in terms of family support and education is such a big piece of what we do. And literature is such a big piece of what we do. So our missions and this partnership completely aligns.”
Seema Aghera, Brooklyn Book Bodega COO and Cofounder, shared, “The partnership between Brooklyn Book Bodega and the Chinese-American Planning Council is a powerful example of what can happen when missions align and communities come together to support children and families. By combining CPC’s deep-rooted community presence with Brooklyn Book Bodega’s commitment to book access and literacy, we’re creating important opportunities for young readers to grow and thrive.”
We’re proud to work alongside CPC and grateful for their ongoing collaboration in helping us build a more equitable, literate future — one book at a time.
Jourdan Hercsek is Brooklyn Book Bodega’s Communications Associate.
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