 "I never thought I'd be in this position." Day after day, year after year, this is the most repeated phrase from grant applicants. No one plans to have financial difficulty. Emergencies don't give warnings. Hardships come upon booksellers unexpectedly and often very quickly. One bookseller put it very succinctly in a letter thanking Binc for the assistance provided after the death of a family member, "Being from a very modest background, and being taught from a young age that if you need something, you find a way to make it happen yourself. Don't count on friends, relatives or the government to get you out of a bind. Look ahead, keep some money put aside for a rainy day, and hope you never have to use it. Well, my family did just that, but we still found ourselves in great need with few places to turn." We know it is never easy to ask for help, but luckily this bookseller turned to Binc. The Foundation was able to give the financial assistance needed, making the process as painless as possible. In the end the family's burden was eased a bit and the same bookseller finishes her letter with these lines - "I can never thank the Foundation enough for allowing me to keep my pride when the last thing I ever thought I would have to do is ask for help. If you are in need of help, with nowhere to turn, I would urge you to contact the Binc Foundation. You just might be surprised at what you find." We at the Foundation understand that in order to have a strong book industry, we all need to pull together. This is a family of book people all helping one another, donating when you are able to help another bookseller in their time of greatest need. The Book Industry Charitable Foundation was imagined and built by booksellers and proudly continues to be their safety net. We at the Binc Foundation encourage booksellers to familiarize themselves with the types of assistance we provide. Keep up with current updates via our email newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter . Because, even if you are well prepared, you never know what the future will bring. | 
