Editorial note from the Country Bookshelf: This initiative began before the earthquake in Haiti, but since that devastating event, this idea seems all the more timely and important. Here’s the text of Robin Owen’s most recent email:

Dear Friends,�
     The current disaster in Haiti is another reminder of the unfairness of life.  Do you often wonder how one person can make a difference?  So were we!!   Then we had this idea.  What if once a month when you met with your bookclub, there was a stamped, addressed envelope in the middle of the table.  What if each member put $5 and someone mailed it that day to the non-profit disaster relief or education program of your chosing.  There is a list of local and international organizations in the Bookclubs to books attachement.  Bookclubs to books is a Bozeman (Montana) based grass roots effort to foster literacy and financial confidence for mostly women, internationally and locally.  Then sometimes there is a disaster that trumps literacy and micro-finance, like tsunamis,  earthquakes and hurricanes.  To help in Haiti, for the next few months your book club could mail their $5s to
The American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C.  20013 and designate Haiti.  To help with literacy, schools, orphans, food supply,  micro-finance and on going disaster relief locally and internationally open and download the attach ment for our ideas.  Certainly you will have your own concerns and we hope that you will copy this idea and forward it to your friends.   Robin Owen and Jeanne Gracey-Etgen in Bozeman,  Montana.
PS: Don’t forget to respect your friends confidentiality.  When you forward this use BCC and erase any addresses that come your way.

And here is the text from the brochure that can be picked up here at the store:

Book Clubs

to Books

Book Clubs to Books:

Is a Bozeman-based grass roots effort to foster literacy and financial confidence in those less fortunate locally and internationally. Born out of a providential encounter between two strangers at the Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, Montana, Book Clubs to Books is a simple idea. At your monthly book club meeting, each member brings $5 which is collected and mailed that day in a pre-addressed stamped envelope to a not-for-profit organization of your choice.