Being in Good Books

The Salvation Army Library Enterprise (SALE) was recently nominated for the President’s Social Service Award 2008. Here's how it all started.

Visiting S.A.L.E.Take a walk along the corridor of our Upper Serangoon Road Thrift Store and you will discover that the book section is one of its key features. Come on a Saturday morning and you will greeted by the chatter and laughter of our S.A.L.E. (Salvation Army Library Enterprise) volunteers, as you find them working their way through the books donated to The Salvation Army.
Down Memory Lane...
Four years ago, there were piles of books at the Upper Serangoon Road Thrift Store, and only bargain hunters would have bothered to go through them, hoping to find a literary gem.

A trio of book lovers then approached The Salvation Army and offered to organise the book area. And so, SALE was born.
It took much hard work and numerous volunteers to sort out and categorise the books. Bookshelves of neatly organised books eventually took shape. Finding a book is no longer a hassle, because there's now a systematic book section in place, making book hunting a much more enjoyable experience.
Successful “Book Quests”
Customers hoping to buy a book or two have ended up with a full trolley. And our friendly book volunteers are always on hand to help customers in their “book quests”. The “New Arrivals” section is also updated every week so there is always something appealing to customers.

A Day in the Life of a S.A.L.E. Volunteer
Ever ready with smiles and open arms to welcome new volunteers, the pioneers have seen their “family” grow over the years. From just a handful, there are now more than ten regular volunteers who come to the book-sorting room to mend torn pages and set aside damaged books for recycling. It is evident that these volunteers like what they're doing is evident and their hard work and enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed. The Salvation Army, continues to this day, to be immensely grateful for the success and commitment of these volunteers who we affectionately call our “book volunteers”.
After their Saturday duties, the team would often head out together in search of good food around Singapore. Here is a team of volunteers who are not just passionate about books, but food as well. A team of volunteers who eat together, stay together! This maybe explains why the team is so closely knit and why the project continues to be successful year after year. Student volunteers seeking to fulfill their CIP (Community Involvement Programme) are also welcomed by the team. Some enjoy the experience so much that they decide to “sign on” as regulars!
Over the years, our book volunteers have remained dedicated to their work; making their way down faithfully every Saturday morning, to sort, price and shelve donated books. And you can be sure that they won’t be leaving anytime soon, either. So if you have a love for books and would like to bless the needy, come on down and join us!

Article originally published in the SA-V (Salvation Army Volunteer) Bulletin
December 2008 © All Rights Reserved