WOW Wagon makes stop in Jackson
JACKSON, Tenn. — Have you ever been wowed by the power of a book?
Well, this wagon has made it a mission to bring the joy of reading to children here locally.
The Words on Wheel, or WOW, Wagon popped up in downtown Jackson at Turntable Coffee on Monday morning in honor of 731 Day.
Locals came by to donate to the cause, knowing that the book is brought to children who may not have access to the books without the donation.
The WOW Wagon carries a variety of choices, from topics on fantasy to friendship.
“There’s an average of 13 books for every age child in the home. So if you have three kids, that is 39 books. And in lower-income family or neighborhood, there’s one book for every 300 homes,” said James Christoferson, Co-Director of the WOW Wagon.
“Many of our students just do not have books,” said Kelly Christoferson, Co-Director of the WOW Wagon. “This is connected and kind of an offshoot of The READ Team, which is a program/nonprofit that we have run for the last five years in which we raise up adult volunteers to go into our six lowest achieving public schools and work one-on-one with a second grader.”
Kelly Christoferson says that they aim to go where books are needed, such as when they follow the RIFA Bus Stop Cafe.
If you have gently used books and would like to donate, it is recommended to bring them by United Way of West Tennessee’s office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
You can also contact the WOW Wagon online. You can request them and volunteer with the WOW Wagon there.
“People who just love books and want to share that love of a book with the kids can look through our wagon and find a book that they loved as a child and almost sell it to a child who walks in going, ‘I want a book but I don’t know what I want,’” Kelly Christoferson said.
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