By WILLIAM CLARK
Donation bins are a common sight. Mostly, they ask for donations of clothing or shoes for those in need. Rarely though do donation bins request anything else.
But now, outside of Wayside United Methodist Church in Ocean Township, there are two bins looking for something quite different: books.
Pastor Wade Jackson of the church said that recently the church has set up the bins in coordination with New Legacy Books. In a post on the church’s Facebook, New Legacy is requesting “books in a good, readable condition that have an ISBN barcode label on the cover.” These books, in turn, will be sold and the church will receive 15 percent of the revenue to put towards its missions, according to Jackson. All books that have a barcode are sought including hardcover, paperback, and textbooks. Exceptions are encyclopedias, dictionaries, library reference books, or magazines.
In addition to supporting local police, fire departments, and first aid squads, the church helps those in the community in need.
“The church always adopts at least one family and makes a very special Christmas for them,” Jackson said.
New Legacy Books is based in New Jersey and was founded by two graduates of Monmouth University. Jackson said of the partnership, “We are actually their furthest south book bins in New Jersey.”
It is not just the need to add funds for church ventures, Jackson said.
“One of the big features that we are trying to do is to make people aware that stuff shouldn’t just be thrown away,” he said. “Stuff can be reused and recycled.”
Jackson also highlighted the church’s work in providing basic necessities like diapers for those in need. The church works with three local organizations to gather and distribute diapers to local parents.
“One thing that a lot of people don’t realize, that if a family is on public assistance, they can’t use that money for diapers,” Jackson explained. “And if a family doesn’t have diapers, they can’t send their kids to daycare and they can’t go to work themselves.”
Wayside United Methodist Church is located at 1229 West Park Avenue in Ocean Township.
