Mother, daughter duo deliver books to home bound during pandemic

When the leadership at West Hartselle Baptist Church decided to cancel services during the COVID-19 pandemic, two members got to work on an idea to serve those who would be stuck at home.  

Katie Brooks, a member of the congregation and a student studying library sciences at UNA, wanted to be a blessing to older members of WHB who would not have access to the church’s extensive library.  

Katie and her mother Tawyna, along with church librarian Ginger Hume, made calls to those in the congregation and began checking out and delivering books to people’s doorstep.  

“We have people in our church who are big readers and so we wanted to make sure they would continue to have access to the books they wanted,” Tawnya said.  

“Katie and Ginger make 4-5 deliveries a week to the older members who can’t leave their homes right now. We’re still able to abide by the social distancing recommendations and we can still see them from a distance.”  

Joan Duncan is one member who has benefited from the deliveries. She said she has always enjoyed reading the faith-based books at the church library. “I read an awful lot anyway – usually 4 books a week,” Duncan said. “I don’t think I would have been able to make it without the deliveries; I would have gone stir crazy by now.”  

Duncan, 88, said her children asked her to stay home a week before the state issued its first recommendation last month. “I live alone and have been a regular church goer since I was 15 years old so it’s been a struggle to not be able to attend Sunday services,” she said. “The book deliveries have certainly been a blessing – they are good people.”  

Maxine and Ron Hall also receive the books from Katie and Tawnya on a weekly basis. “I was touched that they came up with this idea because we wouldn’t have access to these books without them,” Maxine said.  

 “We really like to read and oftentimes, Ron and I will read the same book and discuss it,” she said.  “I don’t even have to tell Katie what kind of books I like; she just knows.”