| Postage Increase this Month |
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| FUNDS STILL NEEDED
 A huge THANK YOU goes out to our many friends around the country who generously opened their hearts and wallets to our program and the people we serve in response to our call for help last month.
We still need your help! Since more than 85% of PBP's budget is spent on the postage necessary to mail books, the upcoming postal increase will further reduce the number of people we can help.
We now have 2290 letters waiting to be filled and enough money to send out 950 of those. With a library full of choice books and volunteers lined up to fill requests, your help is needed now more than ever. Your donation, big or small, will make a difference!
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| Books We Need |
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HELP US FILL SOME GAPS IN OUR SHELVES
 Is that copy of "Audacity of Hope" collecting dust on your bookshelf or coffee table? Send it to us and we'll find it a good home. In fact, if you have any of these, we'll find them good homes too!
- Urban novels and literature (nothing with gang or weapons references)
- Anything by or about Barack Obama
- Westerns
- Almanacs
- Large-print paperbacks
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| Help the United First Parish Church Win a Grant |
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A big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported our landlord, the United First Parish Church, in its bid to win a $100,000 historic preservation grant! UFPC has surged to 14th place in the Partners in Preservation initiative. They're within striking distance of the top ten and the prize money. Please support them today. You can vote once per day until May 17th.
See our April e-Newsletter for more information about this very historic building we share with presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and first ladies Abigail and Louisa Adams.
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| Printing Resources Needed |
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HELP US FIND AN AFFORDABLE SOURCE FOR PRINTING "WE THE PEOPLE"
 Because general legal books are not plentiful, our "We the People" legal primer fills a crucial gap for many prisoners asking us for legal references.
Unfortunately our ever-tightening budget does not allow us to print many copies. So we are asking for your help in locating a printer that would be willing to donate their services.
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| Boston Area Volunteers: Do you have access to a truck or van? |
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 We have been offered several bookshelves by a local college and need help transporting them from Somerville to Quincy. If you have access to a pickup truck or a van and are available during the day or early evening for a few hours, please contact info@prisonbookprogram.org.
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| Thank You Volunteers! |
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 MANY MANY THANKS TO OUR APRIL VOLUNTEERS!
- Alpha Phi Omega, MIT
- Beacon Hill Friends
- Boston Cares
- Boston Latin Academy Classics Club.
- Boston Urban Outreach including First Parish Congregational, Gorham, ME
- Emerson College
- Fusion
- Original Congregational Church, Wrentham, MA
- Single Volunteers of Boston
- YAVA (Young Alumni Volunteer Association)
... and numerous dedicated individuals! |
| Prisoner Writing |
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| ANGELS
The reason why beautiful angels
Have such huge and graceful wings
Is to spread their immaculate sacred love
That only to us they can bring
They're silent and sometimes invisible
On both our side or from behind
To protect us from wrong doing
That can only come to our minds
But sometimes they get too busy
And that's when we go astray
Knowing in their loving hearts
We need to learn things along the way
I know I left for a short while
As temptation and witchery came along
She taught me what was right
But when I left I did the wrong
She finally caught up with me
And knew just how she could
Bring me back to the wonderful life
That is so loved and very good
I bet you didn't know that angels
Are the women in all our lives
For they are our most beautiful mothers
Sisters, daughters and wives
I know you have one of these
Kindly looking over your shoulder
So just be very appreciative
And go hug her and hold her
Face her and tell her
Just how much she means to you
But don't forget the most important
These three words "I love you."
Luis Santiago |
