NYC Service AmeriCorps Member Spotlight: Serving with Brooklyn Book Bodega
By Brooklyn Book Bodega
This past fall, Brooklyn Book Bodega was thrilled to welcome Diyana Diop as an AmeriCorps member through NYC Service. This program places members with nonprofit organizations and city agencies across New York City, providing hands-on professional experience while working to address the evolving needs of communities across the city. Through her service with Brooklyn Book Bodega, Diyana supports the daily operations of our Book Hub and helps recruit and coordinate the volunteers who make our work possible.
We recently sat down with Diyana to learn more about her experience with AmeriCorps and her role at Brooklyn Book Bodega. In our conversation, she reflected on her path to service, the personal connection that drew her to literacy work, and what it means to give back to the communities that helped shape her own journey.
What inspired you to join AmeriCorps through NYC Service, and what drew you to serving with Brooklyn Book Bodega specifically?
I majored in International Studies, and I see AmeriCorps and NYC Service as an avenue to get into nonprofit organizations, and also to give back to the community that gives so much to me.
That was one of my top interests. I was born in Senegal and raised here in the US. I had so many great opportunities: to go to school and attend university. With all the community support I received, I would love to give that back. I saw AmeriCorps as the best way to reach the community.
What drove me to serve at Brooklyn Book Bodega was my own experience growing up. When I came to the U.S. as a kid, I didn't speak English, and I had to start junior high school right away… I remember having a hard time trying to read, do my homework, and understand my assignments. My dad used to stay up at night helping me with homework and teaching me how to read.
That experience really stayed with me. It really touched my heart, and it’s a big reason why I care so deeply about literacy. I want kids to have strong reading skills so that they don’t have to go through what I went through as a child. That also pushed me when my son started school. I made sure I put him in a really good school, and always pushed him to read, because literacy is very important. That’s why I really connected with the mission at Brooklyn Book Bodega. The more access children have to books, the more they will read and have better outcomes in life. You’ll improve your vocabulary, your education, and all of that great stuff. So that’s what drew me to serve with Brooklyn Book Bodega.
Can you tell us a little about your role at Brooklyn Book Bodega and what supporting the Book Hub and volunteers looks like?
My role at Brooklyn Book Bodega is volunteer recruitment and management. I recruit volunteers and I manage them to support the needs of the Book Hub. I also support Cecilia, the Book Hub Manager, with assisting with the volunteers, and running either the morning or afternoon volunteer sessions.
I help with the process when the books come through, like stamping and sorting, which helps us give great quality books back to the kids in the community. So I support the daily functions of Brooklyn Book Bodega, and that’s my role here.
Is there a moment from your time with Brooklyn Book Bodega that has stayed with you or something that really showed you the impact of this work?
Yes, definitely. I had a great day last weekend on Saturday when I was supporting our program coordinator Arabella with the I ❤️ MY B😽D📚GA program. When the kids came in, they were so happy to just see the books and start picking them up. I had a chance to help with photography; I took some photos that could be website pictures. One was of this little boy, and he had a book that he was so interested in… really absorbed and focusing on the book. I was really like, “Wow.” It was really awesome to be a part of that… just to give kids a chance to love reading and to choose books they want to read.
How about with volunteers? Are there any standout moments or stories?
Of course. I just love seeing people willing to give up their time to come out and help. We have regular volunteers who come consistently. And we have new volunteers who are really connected with the impact of what Brooklyn Book Bodega does. Many say, “We are definitely coming back.” Even sometimes when it’s cold they will still show up and that really shows the dedication and the willingness to support the mission. That’s really great to see. We have a volunteer that’s so involved… she helps with the sessions and helps everyone out. It’s really good to see that support and dedication.
What does it mean to you to serve as an AmeriCorps member in New York City through NYC Service?
That ties back to what I was saying in the beginning. Growing up in New York, I have family, friends, and community here. New York City is made up of so many different people and nationalities. It’s a melting pot. Seeing the differences between here and my country back home is a big comparison. It means a lot to serve in the same place where I went to school, and where I was supported by the community. That’s why I am where I am right now. I wanted to channel that and give that back.
So looking back on your service so far, how has your experience with AmeriCorps and Brooklyn book Bodega shaped your perspective on service, literacy, or your future path?
Great question. Serving here and serving at another nonprofit organization last term really helps me figure out the question of, “What is my career path?” I’ve realized I really want to focus more on helping kids thrive and be the best version of themselves. Wherever that takes me next, I think it will have to be in a nonprofit organization helping kids or helping with education. And literacy is important. I like how Brooklyn Book Bodega talks about the outcomes of reading, like financial attainment or even mental health benefits. Which is really absolutely true, and that really resonated with me.
My perspective on service was pretty solid coming into it. But now I feel like it’s even bigger because I get to work with the community. It all goes back to my willingness to give back with service and my civic duties. Wherever that’s going to take me, locally or internationally, it has a lot to do with helping people and helping communities. You have to look at the picture of the world as it being bigger than yourself.
Working with Brooklyn Book Bodega has really helped guide me to that path. I’m really grateful to be serving here and getting to see what it really means to be a community. I really appreciate it.
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