Mary, Mother of God Parish collects, donates 1,000-plus books for city kids
The Mary, Mother of God Parish is giving out 1,000-plus books to children in Scranton after parishioners donated the reading material during Lent. The North Scranton parish at 316 William St. held a 'Books are a Blessing' book drive through its Community/Service Coordinating Team as an almsgiving opportunity for the Lenten season, asking churchgoers to donate new or gently used books for children from preschool age through eighth grade. Although they did not count the books, they received 'well over 1,000,' said Jennifer Pitts, team leader of the Community/Service Coordinating Team. Pitts had the idea for the inaugural book drive after seeing her daughter's church in Philadelphia hold a book drive for Christmas. Her parish already gave almost half of its books to the Village Park Apartments in Scranton, where they will be given out during food distributions and after-school programs, Pitts said. On Monday afternoon, they held a book distribution at the Bangor Heights Apartments, Pitts said. With a few hundred books still in hand, Pitts expects to give out the remaining books through other channels, including the parish's annual summer swim drive and to Head Start. She is also talking to Scranton School District teachers at Neil Armstrong Elementary School, which is attended by children from Bangor Heights, regarding giving out books at school, she said.
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
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Jennifer Pitts loads books into a car at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate to those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Books collected during the Lenten season wait to be loaded in cars at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Elieen Mallas hands a box of books to Jennifer Pitts at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Jennifer Pitts loads books into a car at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate to those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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