AuPairCare Au Pairs Send Books to Children Across the World

AuPairCare au pairs in Maryland gathered together this holiday season to volunteer with Books for International Goodwill (B.I.G.), a charity that was started in the group's own community of Anne Arundel County.

B.I.G. collects recycled books and distributes them to children in poor communities across a variety of continents including Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. AuPairCare's au pairs know the value of literacy for young children, and are often a part of teaching their host children to read. To support this important cause, au pairs from 7 countries came together to sort and package books.

The highlight of the day was when many of the au pairs realized that B.I.G. ships to their home countries. Lenka, from the Czech Republic, shared, 'I'm so glad that books will be sent to my country because it helps to develop English culture and language in the Czech Republic. I'm proud of America, that they do these activities.'

Other au pairs expressed how much they enjoy volunteering, both locally and abroad. They were happy to be able to contribute here in the U.S., even though they are here temporarily.

Monique from South Africa felt especially connected to her community on the day. She recalled, 'It was a lot of fun packing the boxes with books. It was nice to be a part of this great experience. I met a lot of good, nice people in Annapolis that volunteer in the community.'

The opportunity to volunteer with B.I.G. empowered AuPairCare's au pairs to not only impact the children back in their home countries, but also to support a local charity in their new home.