Employees at Lexington business spend ‘Impact Day’ working to send books around the world

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Deloitte’s Lexington employees took the day off Friday from their regular duties to help sort through hundreds of books that’ll be sent abroad.

That’s the work of the International Book Project.

IBP says that, with the help of volunteers, they can sort through books a whole lot faster. It’s a pretty lengthy process to ensure that each book gets where it needs to go. Some of their sorting bins hold 1,500 books.

“Granting the accessibility of literature across the world,” said Christian O’Brian, a consultant with Deloitte.

Every year, more than 300,000 books are sent straight from IBP’s warehouse to people across the country and overseas.

“The longer we have these books sitting here, the longer people overseas are waiting for them,” said Lisa Fryman, executive director of IBP.

It’s a more in-depth process than you might think. IBP has a system in place that helps them determine what books can be sent out and what books get thrown in the trash.

“Taking a look at the setup that they have here in this warehouse is absolutely incredible,” said O’Brian.

O’Brian spent a few hours with his colleagues on Friday, building comradery while making an impact. He says he never knew this was happening right in his backyard.

“It was a complete shock, you know, I’ve probably driven by this place 3 or 4 times,” he said.

It’s Deloitte’s ‘Impact Day,’ which happens a few times a year. Sometimes, they pick up litter, and other times, they pack boxes full of books.

“Books are something we take for granted on such a daily basis,” said O’Brian.

The International Book Project said access to books is critical to a nation’s ability to tackle illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and more.

“It’s always so great to have large groups of people come because they can get a lot accomplished in a small amount of time,” said Fryman.

O’Brian said it’s really important for them to get out in the community because close to one in three Kentuckians are impacted by the services they provide.

“In order to actually get hands-on experience within our local communities here in Lexington is an incredibly rewarding experience,” said O’Brian.

If you’re interested in volunteering at the International Book Project, click here.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.