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The Boys And Girls Club
Finley and Will are dedicated high school soccer teammates who quickly realized their shared interest in both competitive soccer and collecting and donating used books to others. Since their team used the local Boys & Girls Club to train, it made the most sense to offer books to the Club. One of their proudest projects is developing a "Book Nook" at the Club. They even recruited their younger soccer playing brothers to help demonstrating that the best goals aren’t always scored on the field!
Our Founders
Stokes' Stories was established by Finley Stokes during Covid when he realized the importance and enjoyment he got out of reading. Reading from a very early age has always been a passion for the whole Stokes family. With his grandmother being a reading specialist, he was acutely aware of the fact that it was difficult for some kids to learn how to read or to even have access to books. With this passion and knowledge, he set out to make books accessible to every person.
Franey Fiction was created as a summer service project. Will was inspired to share the gift of escape and enrichment one gets from reading by watching grandfather’s gesture of sharing books with his great-grandmother. She would get lost in their pages even when her physical abilities were limited.
Will started by organizing a neighborhood book drive, focusing on providing books to nursing homes and to after-school programs. He has since donated hundreds of books remaining committed to helping others in his community, regardless of age or circumstance, to have the experience of "getting lost" in a good book.
Our Inspiration
In this technologically focused world, we believe in the importance of paper books and the comfort and confidence one gets from reading. The more access to books and the more minutes spent reading leads to more success and happiness in the world!
Our Process
We collect and then donate new and used books for any age group and distribute them through local book drives and across the world through other charitable networks.
Community Focus
The brothers were recently recognized at the Bywater Boys and Girls Club for their revitalization efforts, specifically creating a Book Nook for children after school. They collected donations, bought and assembled shelving, solicited donated books by working with the Annapolis Monarch Academy and individual residents, and redecorated to make it an inviting space to promote youth literacy for under served communities. Over 600 books were donated and delivered for this wonderful community service program.
The boys received 3 citations each from Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland for this project:
“In recognition of your dedication and generosity in creating a welcoming and inspiring Book nook at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County-Bywater Club. Your commitment to fostering a love of reading and learning has provided our youth with a special space to explore, imagine and grow. Your efforts have made a lasting impact, empowering young minds and enriching our Club community.”
#BOOKTIME
