Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry (ACM) is celebrating the 40th and final year of their annual Used Book Sale with a location change to the Papermart Building just south of Northway Mall at 7809 McKnight Road in Ross Twp. The Book Sale will take place Saturday, June 13th through Thursday, June 18th from 10am to 8pm (Sunday from noon to 6pm). All funds raised directly benefit the clients of ACM.
“First, we want to ensure that everyone knows that the sale has changed locations to the Papermart Building on McKnight Road,” says Dawn Tornese, ACM’s Assistant Office Manager. “It’s a spacious location and will accommodate us well with plenty of additional parking around the back of the building.”
“Secondly, but not least important,” adds Denise Patsko, Director of Development, “We’d like to thank all our loyal volunteers, book donors, and book buyers who have generously supported our book sale these past forty years. Because of you, we have been able to offer affordable professional counseling, tutoring, and parent education.” Over a million books have been sold and the result is many mended hearts.
The money raised from this book sale will go to helping more families like this one: “Anchorpoint has been a God-Send for our family. We have used their counseling services and the tutoring program. As a single mother with two children, I couldn’t find affordable counseling or tutoring options. They were such a wonderful fit for our family!”
The First Annual Used Book Sale was held in 1976. It was a two-day event that offered 5,000 books and raised $939. The books were unsorted and fit into two or three tables. By 1991, buyers were able to browse through more than 30,000 books and the sale raised $11,107. Last year the sale rose over $22,000. This year’s sale will feature over 40,000 books sorted into 35 categories ready for purchase.
“There is something for everyone at this book sale. You never know what you may find,” says Lisa Feraco, Office Manager. Hidden treasures share table space with recent bestsellers, textbooks, children’s books, cookbooks, and plenty of romances and mystery novels.
Rev. Dr. Ron Barnes, Executive Director, credits volunteers with the book sale’s longevity and success. “It’s no small endeavor,” he says. Books are donated and collected throughout the year. These donations are transported to a space where volunteers carefully sort and box the items. ACM staff and volunteers move the books to the sale location. It takes over 350 volunteers to organize and facilitate this event. North Hills Area churches, corporate retirees, local businesses, and community volunteers will be selling the many thousands of books, tapes, cds, and videos that have been donated and sorted throughout the year. Many volunteers have been with the sale for over twenty years; a few since the beginning.
“We thought the invention of e-readers and the resulting lack of physical book donations would be the demise of the book sale,” explains Wendy Cibula, Marketing Director, “But, each year we start from scratch and have a fresh supply over 40,000 books. It’s amazing to me.” Some of the book donation sources include local church and school book drives, estates, libraries, individual donors, and local businesses.
In the end, it’s a lack of new volunteers, increasing costs associated with the sale, and the time it takes staff away from important ministry work that has resulted in this year being the final book sale. “We are, after all, in the business of hope and healing and not book dealing,” says Wendy. “However, we are open to the possibility of another group taking over and running the book sale on our behalf,” adds Rev. Barnes.
Proceeds from this year’s book sale underwrite the low-cost professional counseling, parent education and prevention programs, and tutoring services that are provided for individuals, children, teens, and families. This helps to ensure that no one will be turned away due to the inability to pay or lack of medical coverage
Counseling at ACM addresses the serious problems created by addiction and abuse, and helps families deal with conflict, bereavement, separation and-or divorce, poor self-esteem, peer pressure, bullying, school problems, parenting issues, chronic illness, depression and other stressful situations. Life transitions or unexpected crisis can seem challenging and be overwhelming. When books are purchased or a donation is made to ACM, a family in need receives the hope-building professional services needed for a healthy future.
“Our mission focus is on those who must have low-cost or free professional help,” says Rev. Barnes, “but we clearly serve others who choose us because of our faith-based focus and good clinical reputation.”
“Help us celebrate our 40th and final book sale by telling others about it and stopping by to purchase a handful of books,” says Wendy. “The more books we sell, the more folks we can help. Together, we can make a difference for our hurting neighbors.”
Anchorpoint’s 40th and Final Used Book Sale opens on Saturday, June 13th and wraps up with a bag sale and volunteer celebration on Thursday, June 18th. For more information about the book sale and Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry, visit Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry.