Our Concerns--are they yours also?
Hands Across The Water delivers an effective solution to two problems: the domestic problem of excess books and the global problem of not enough books. We collect books from schools, libraries, and inidividuals who no longer want them, and send them to schools and libraries which desperately need them. We care about less affluent people who do not have enough books to sustain educational and intellectual growth and are condemned to ignorance, illiteracy and poverty. We are dedicated to cultural bridge-building on a local, national, international scale by providing the tools of literacy and education. We are concerned about overburdened landfills and dumps filled with needlessly trashed books. We are also committed to environmental and conservation awareness here in the U.S. by promoting the responsible reuse of books.
Our Mission
Our goal is both the promotion of conservation and reuse principles in the U.S. and literacy and education globally. Both goals are stepping stones to our larger objective: being responsible citizens of not just our local, state, or national community, but also of the greater world community. We organize community support from every sector of society: students, Boy and Girl Scouts, environmental conservationists, teachers, librarians, civic-minded clubs, and Americans of all colors who are concerned about the scarcity of books in their native homelands. We seek to strengthen schools and libraries in developing countries where a broad range of reading material is desired.
An Abundance of Books
Most discarded books in the U.S. are shredded and reduced to pulp in a process that is innocuously termed "recycling." In reality the destructive chemical processes used to destroy the books also release harmful environmental pollutants. Contrary to popular conception, most discarded books are not moldy and tattered but are quality books still in good condition. Households, schools and libraries periodically "weed out" and update their collections due to space constraints and ambitious library acquisition goals. Publishers often have "overstock" of new books or books with minor imperfections which they throw away. The books we collect for reuse are of good quality.
A Scarcity of Books
Contrast this "throwaway" attitude with the situation overseas; communities must ration their few tattered books; students have no textbooks to call their own; libraries cannot allow their inadequate collections to circulate. The typical child growing up even in the more stable countries of sub-Saharan Africa rarely, if ever, has the chance to borrow a book, even if he has been taught to read. We seek to correct this imbalance of resources. We distribute usable books to needy schools, libraries and other community-based nonprofit organizations. We meet a pressing concern in poor societies all over the world by distributing "rescued" surplus books to promote literacy and education where it is needed most. In many developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, English is the language of choice for education and literacy, so our books are a good fit.
Non-sectarian Status
HATW is a non-sectarian organization. We work with civic-minded persons and organizations which honor the concepts of peace, freedom and education for all. We respect the broad diversity of religions and philosophies which have enriched the varied cultures of our planet, and we acknowledge the right of the individual to choose his/her own creed as long as it is based on respect for others.
About Us
Hands Across the Water (HATW) is a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts. We promote local conservation and reuse of books in addition to international literacy and education. HATW is growing nationwide and has collection centers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Georgia, and Washington state.
Recognized as a public charitable organization by the IRS under IRC Section 501(C)(3), our federal tax ID is #04-3514769. All charitable contributions used to further our work (whether in the form of books, unwanted cars, or dollars) are tax deductible. There is no charge to the overseas recipients of our donated books. HATW has attracted considerable interest from recycling and reuse advocates, educators, and librarians.
Since our inception we have provided more than five million books to needy areas ranging from Haiti, India, the Phillippines, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, the Gambia, and Tanzania, to the newly independent states of the former USSR (including Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia). We provide books to schools and libraries globally, on five continents. We also provide books to needy areas here in the U.S.