VOLUNTEERING
Women’s Prison Book Project is an entirely volunteer-run organization.
We welcome and appreciate everyone who makes this work possible! We strive to make WPBP inclusive, welcoming, and positive for every volunteer and for every reader.
SUNDAY BOOK MAILINGS
We host volunteer mailing sessions on Sunday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. at our space in South Uptown.
We have limited space, so volunteers must sign up in advance. To get on our volunteer sign-up list, please email us. Volunteer spots often fill up quickly. If the spots are full, you can check back later. Often, a few spots open up at the last minute.
WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS DO?
There are two main roles during a mailing session.
Picking books: Volunteers read handwritten letters or requests from people in prison. For each request, they choose three books taking into consideration their preferences, the selection available, and the restrictions imposed by the prison. Volunteers also sometimes write responses and share resource lists. It’s like being a personal shopper for that reader. This shift requires walking and standing primarily.
Wrapping (packaging): Volunteer wrappers are responsible for reviewing restrictions lists and handwritten letters and doing a quality check on selected books. Then, volunteers package the books up so that they can be sent in the mail. Like a quilting bee, but with more tape! Volunteers usually sit for most of their shift while wrapping. Volunteers usually sit for most of their shift while wrapping.
No experience is required: we’ll train you on your first shift. See our accessibility notes below and reach out if you have any questions or clarifications that would be helpful before you volunteer!
ACCESSIBILITY NOTES:
We require everyone to wear a high-quality mask while in our space. We strongly encourage everyone to be fully vaccinated and up-to-date on COVID and flu vaccines. Here is information on possible free/ low-cost vaccines. We have extra masks available for volunteers.
Volunteering at a book mailing involves reading, writing, listening, and lifting about 5-10 pounds.
Picking books requires choosing books from our floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. We have step stools. Please ask for help from another volunteer if needed.
Every week we need some of the volunteers to carry bins of books, which weigh about 40 pounds, and take trash and recycling out. We generally have plenty of help, so it’s ok if you’re not up for this.
Our space is on the 2nd floor and is accessible by elevator from street level.
Parking is street parking only. Our space is near several bus lines (4, 6, 21, 23, 114, B Line) and bike routes.
We have a small single-stall, all-gender restroom right in our own space. Larger single-stall, all-gender restrooms are on the 1st floor, accessible by elevator.
Please email us if you have questions!
NOT IN MINNESOTA?
If you’re not close to Minneapolis, there may be another books-to-prisoners organization near you. Check out this list of books to prisoners programs. Each organization is independent, but we have similar goals: to get books into the hands of those who are incarcerated, and to connect people both inside and outside of the prison system.
GROUP MAILINGS
We can sometimes organize a special book mailing and presentation for your organization or group, depending on capacity and timing.
Generally, a 2-3 hour shift with 4-10 volunteers works well.
Please note, we ask your organization to cover the cost of postage associated with the mailing, typically a $250-$500 sliding fee scale depending on organization size and budget. This allows us to sustainably add additional mailings beyond our standard Sunday mailings. We don’t want cost to be a barrier to volunteering, so please reach out with questions or if you want to discuss alternative options.
If you’d like to set up a mailing for your group, please email us.
BOOK DRIVES
Every book we send is donated or purchased with donated funds, so book drives are essential to keeping our shelves stocked. Organizing a book drive can also be a way to raise awareness about the reality of life in prison and the book bans and restrictions that people face while incarcerated.
Because of restrictions imposed by prisons and limitations in terms of our space, we ask that you email us before setting up a book drive. We can send you a list of guidelines, as well as our current needs list to help focus your book drive!
FUNDRAISERS
Money keeps our postage machine running and allows us to purchase books in the most-needed genres! If you or a group you are involved in would like to organize a fundraiser for WPBP, thank you! Please email us and we’ll discuss the details.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Our annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser is typically a Saturday in early May, and we need lots of help to make it a success! If you aren’t already on our volunteer mailing list, email us to get added. We’ll reach out when volunteer sign-up opens.
Or, invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us for a delicious meal and book shopping! Keep an eye on our social media for details.
PEN PALS
Our partner, Black & Pink Minneapolis (formerly Midwest Trans Prisoner Pen Pal Project), coordinates pen pals with LGBTQIA+ readers.
Black & Pink Minneapolis is always looking for more people to write letters to incarcerated members. They generally meet on Sunday evenings at Boneshaker Books. Check their website for the latest information.
wpbp.org 