Getting acquainted to make ‘it’ happen at Hindi's Libraries

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“Hello I’m new here, and I’d like to play. Maybe now, maybe later or even all day.”

How many times have you found yourself trying to accomplish something only to find someone tell you to give up, because unless you have an “in”, there’s no use in trying.  “It’s who you know,” they say. While this may sometimes be the case, my experience growing Hindi’s Libraries really shows that it’s not who you know, it’s “how much you want it.” 

We didn’t know anyone at Disney Worldwide Publishing when we formed a partnership that allows us to receive more than 25,000 new books to donate. We didn’t have an in with Avery Labels when they agreed to provide us with 20,000 free labels to utilize for our dedication stickers.

We certainly didn’t have anyone at People Magazine in our contacts. In fact, we didn’t know many people at all when we formed our organization. But throughout the year, we created so many wonderful friendships and relationships with people all over the world for one reason only: we wanted to make it happen. We put hundreds of hours into our efforts and trudged on diligently, even after we were turned away by some and turned Hindi’s Libraries into what it has become today. 

Dovid Kanarfogel (co-founder of the organization) and I celebrated World Read Aloud Day at the Brandeis School on Feb. 5, where Dovid read Terry Border’s “Peanut Butter and Cupcake,” a sticky tale of the new kid in town who is looking to find someone to support and stand by him. While he read the book, I quickly realized that we were Peanut Butter, trying to find people to help us share our story.

So let’s learn from our persistent friend Peanut Butter, who did not give up after he was rejected by Egg, Meatball, Cupcake, Soup and Hamburger. Instead, he continued on his journey to find someone who would believe in him, because he REALLY wanted to make it happen.

“So they taught each other what they knew and made each other chuckle deep down in their bellies.”