Thanks to one small group of volunteers, sick patients at Moore’s Cancer Center at the University of California–San Diego have been emotionally uplifted by the joy of reading donated books over 15 years.
After reading an article on how cancer patients can boost their health and morale when reading to their children, San Diego-based social worker Shirley Tulin started a nonprofit dedicated to supplying such books to adults suffering from cancer in the area.
The private nonprofit is called “Light One Little Candle,” and is based out of Port Washington, New York, where the first branch was started by Lee Rosenberg, a friend of Tulin’s, in honor of a close friend who died from cancer. It has six branches throughout the country, including San Diego.
“It’s just nice to give [patients] a chance to snuggle and sit with their kids while reading them a good book,” charity president Charlotte Perry told The Epoch Times. “We’re like ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ we just keep chugging along.”
Tulin, who is now in her 90s, continues to hold book drives for the nonprofit from her retirement facility community in La Jolla.
The organization has given thousands of new books to cancer patients at the hospital, which are mostly distributed to its waiting room, as well as patient hospital rooms by volunteers, where patients can choose from the selection to take home as they wait for appointments.
Local San Diego schools have also held book drives for the nonprofit.
And over the years, the organization has had many noteworthy volunteers, including Rachael Glovinsky, 25, who began working for the charity when she was just 9.
The then-4th grader organized a school-wide book drive for the nonprofit, filling an entire cart with donations.
The San Diego Unified School District has also chipped in, donating $500 each year for the last several years to the nonprofit, which Perry says helped her buy even more books to donate.
Those wishing to contribute books or monetary donations can do so by emailing Perry at [email protected]
