Community organizations the bus visits or partners with

We are delighted to be partnering with The Boys & Girls Club - Southwood Unit.  The Free Book Bus visits on the first Wednesday of every month, from 3:45-5:15. Look for us near the clubhouse. Everyone is welcome!  

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! The Free Book Bus is helping distribute certain types of food boxes to families with children. The BRAFB provides nutritious food to 115,390 people each month through a far-reaching network of more than 200 food  pantries, soup kitchens, schools, churches and other nonprofit groups.

We are delighted to be working with Charlottesville City School's Family Engagement Program. The bus will participate in events such as the annual Charlottesville City School's Back to School Bash, Essential Needs drive-through events, and more. 

Community Bikes will be joining us at certain stops to provide free bike repairs for kids! See our calendar for details. They are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) bicycle shop that promotes environmentally-sound transportation, recycles bicycles, and makes cycling accessible in Charlottesville. 

The Free Book Bus will be visiting families at Hearthwood throughout the year. At this stop, we see families who speak Arabic, Dari, Hindi, Nepali, and more, in addition to English. We are very happy to be making regular stops here! 

The Free Book Bus is so pleased to partner with Hillside School in Charlottesville. We know and love the teachers from their time at North Branch School. Hillside School's mission is to inspire curiosity and foster imagination with a variety of teaching methods. Hillside School offers programs for children ages 2-9. 

Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albemarle has been serving our community since 1977.  As an independent local organization, they rely on contributions from our community to keep our wheels turning. Most of their clients are on low or fixed incomes and are not able to pay for meal services. 

Nelson County Pantry is a privately funded, non-profit organization operated entirely by volunteers and the generous  contributions from local churches, civic organizations, businesses and  private individuals. They provide nutritional meats, produce, baked goods and canned foods to more than 250 families each month.

North Branch School was our beloved school home (for our boys and us) for 11 years. Founded in 1983, North Branch is an independent, not-for-profit school for pre-school through 8th grade in Afton.  NBS offers academic challenge in a nurturing environment, stretching our students without stressing them and/or their families. They emphasize hands-on learning and cooperation, while giving students a solid foundation in academics, the arts, and life skills.

PACEM is a grassroots organization that works with 80 local congregations  and community groups and 3,000 volunteers to provide Wintertime shelter  and related services to the homeless. Their name is the Latin word for  “peace” and also an acronym for “People And Congregations Engaged in  Ministry.”

 The Free Book Bus does outreach and seasonal events with Ready Kids - Healthy Families. Healthy Families fosters nurturing family relationships for pregnant moms and safe environments for young children through regular home visiting.

The Free Book Bus visits Red Hill for various events during the school year. This is a special partnership for Sharon: her great-grandfather (pictured above) taught at Red Hill School from 1915-1917.

As of spring 2022, we are partnering with Habitat for Humanity at Southwood. We will visit the Southwood Community on a regular basis, stopping throughout the neighborhood. Keep an eye on our calendar for details! 

PHAR is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to advocating for and with public housing residents. They are entirely governed by public housing residents and one Section 8 resident. The Free Book Bus is excited to be providing a summer reading program for city residents through PHAR. 

We are very happy to partner with Virginia Institute of Autism! The book bus visits both Charlottesville campuses, allowing students and adults (and teachers) to choose books in a safe and comfortable setting. Thanks to a grant from the Perry Foundation, we were able to purchase a wheelchair lift that we use at VIA. 

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