As we begin the new year, we’re thrilled to not only share insights from the authors of some beloved books in the Rizal Center Pamana Children’s Library but also to highlight the voices of the dedicated individuals who make it all possible—our volunteers. This year, in our Pages Beyond Books: Stories from Our Volunteers section, we’ll hear from the inspiring people behind the scenes who bring passion, energy, and care to the library. Stay tuned to learn more about their experiences and the impact they have on our community!
Reflections of a Pamana Children’s Library Volunteer
By Josh Odum
I suppose you could say that the Pamana Children’s Library happened kind of by accident. At the very least, it wasn’t plan “A”. And I was fortunate enough to see it play out from the beginning.
You may have heard the story by now, so I won’t spend much time on it, though it is wonderful. Genevie de Castro had a passion for sharing Filipino culture with children. Her first idea was to organize a fundraiser so she could purchase children’s books by Filipino authors to donate to the Chicago Public Library. But their Chicago Public Library only rarely accepts donations. Their loss was Rizal Center’s gain.
Genevie was left with a ton of books thanks to her incredibly generous donors, but nowhere to give them. She found some wonderful organizations like the Newberry Library and the University of Minnesota who were willing to take some books. I wager that most people would have stopped there. They would have kept contacting organizations willing to accept donations, signing letters of grant, and mailing packages out until all the books were gone.
Genevie de Castro isn’t most people.
Genevie decided she wasn’t content with just donating books to organizations that already existed. She was going to put something new in the world, and then nurture it. She reached out to Rizal Center, coincidentally just a five minute walk from where she lived at the time, and pitched them the idea of founding a library for Filipino children’s literature on the premises.
Of course, this idea would transform what Genevie originally intended to be a little side-project into a major undertaking that she would have to spearhead and devote significant time to. Many would shrink away from this responsibility, but Genevie barreled full speed ahead.
But no idea succeeds without a capable team willing to put in the hard work to get it off the ground. And as it turned out, Genevie excels at building teams too. She recruited friends and colleagues who had a passion for Filipino culture and put them to work, utilizing their unique skills to their fullest extent. Over the next few months, Genevie and the team dutifully cleaned out the space that Rizal Center provided for the library, purchased and assembled shelving units, and organized and shelved the books.
Then it was time for the team to turn their attention to publicizing the library. They wrote posts for Bayanihan, developed content for social media, designed graphics, and supplied consistent donor updates informing key stakeholders about the new library.
Events were planned: requiring invitations to be sent, supplies to be purchased, foods to be ordered, and – perhaps most importantly- guests of honor like Little Miss Ann Torralba to be invited. From the opening ceremony in December 2023, to the monthly storytime series that dives deeper into language and history lessons, to a culinary adventure at the Consulate General of the Philippines, the only common threads tying all the events together have been kids, books, Filipino culture, and the tireless work of so many volunteers.
I remember many of the volunteers bringing their own kids to Rizal Center’s event, gifted with the blessed opportunity to share their heritage with the next generation firsthand. I remember one of our guests of honor reminiscing about visiting Rizal Center with her sister when they were young, and resolving to get involved with Rizal Center’s mission again. I remember homemade snacks, prepared with love.
If I could sum up what has allowed Pamana to succeed at its mission to share the joys of reading and Filipino culture with kids in just one word, that word would be “dedication”. The dedication and drive of so many volunteers who believe strongly in the library’s mission and are willing to sacrifice their time and energy, with their only reward being the pride of seeing that mission become reality.
When purpose is aligned with passion and dedication, bundled up with a generous amount of talent, sealed with ambition, and left to simmer for a few months, unbelievable things can happen. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Josh Odum has volunteered at Pamana Children’s Library since the very beginning of the project. He also works at Tyndale House Publishers as their Media Buying Manager and serves his local church as Director of Digital Communications.
Read about Pamana Children’s Library story and our mission by visiting our page on the Rizal Center website: https://rizalcenter.org/programs/pamana-childrens-library/.
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We’re now on Instagram! Follow us at @pamanalibrary_chicago for updates on our collection, events, and activities as we celebrate Filipino culture and heritage. Join us in a nurturing love for Filipino literature and exploring the beautiful stories that connect us all!
Support the Pamana Children’s Library
At Pamana, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling and the joy of books to connect generations and celebrate cultural identity. Our mission is to inspire young minds by sharing the rich traditions, values, and stories of the Philippines, fostering a sense of community. Since our opening in December 2023, our dedicated volunteers have engaged Filipino families in the greater Chicago area through enriching story times and cultural events.
To sustain these vital programs, we kindly ask for your support through one-time or monthly donations. Your contributions directly benefit the children and families we serve.
As the program of the Rizal Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations may be tax-deductible.
Thank you for considering a gift to help us continue our mission!
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