For some kids, a book is a story; for others, it is salvation.
Decades ago, Jennifer Dillon was one of those others.
As an adult, Dillon is throwing a literacy lifeline to children in need through Southern Arizona Book Heroes. The local nonprofit is dedicated to providing books, plush toys, blankets, coloring books, small toys, games and other items to distract, comfort and soothe kids in crisis.
The group partners with first responders, victim advocates, social workers and local agencies to distribute the items to children ages newborn to 16.
Book Heroes has provided books to Fisher House, the Erik Hite Foundation, Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center, Pima County Courthouse, Department of Child Services and U.S. Customs. Partners also include Tucson Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, Marana Police Department, Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Arizona Highway Patrol, Arizona Border Patrol and 10 other public safety agencies statewide.
“I was that child who we try to reach through first responders. When I was 13, I was taken from my family due to physical and sexual abuse. I left home with nothing but the clothes on my back and was placed in an emergency children’s shelter,” said Dillon, 41, who founded Book Heroes in 2019 with the support of friends and family. “There was a bookshelf there, and I would hide in the corner and just read to get away from the harsh reality of life. It really felt like reading helped to get me through everything I was experiencing; I would just get lost in the words of the books.”
In spite of the pandemic, the growth since has been explosive: There are currently waiting lists for the group’s duffle bags filled with supplies at police departments in Globe and Goodyear, and Dillon has established book partnerships with Barnes & Noble, Burst Books and other publishers.
Dillon said the nonprofit initially begins service by supplying duffle bags for at least 20 patrol cars in each department at a cost of about $250 per bag. Each bag contains 30 to 50 books and other supplies that can be distributed to children during calls that involve domestic violence, abuse of drugs and/or alcohol, mental health incidents such as suicide or attempts to harm others, traffic accidents and a variety of other situations.
“This is about so much more than just books. It is about sharing literacy and helping a child through a traumatic experience so maybe they won’t have post traumatic stress disorder. It is about helping them to understand that police officers care and that when people work together there is strength in the community. We want them to know that kids don’t have to fight alone,” said Dillon.
SABH is providing a resource that can help to make stressful situations a little easier for both children and first responders, according to Officer Mike Duran, public information officer for the Oro Valley Police Department.
“When we respond to calls, it is always hard when children are involved. There isn’t an officer I know who wouldn’t put dealing with traumatized children at the top of the list for things that are hardest to see in this job,” said Duran.
He emphasized that the department always tries to have at least one officer on the road at any given time whose vehicle carries a Book Heroes’ duffle bag since the books, coloring books, stuffed animals and small toys can go a long way toward comforting children during crises.
“They are already scared and then a stranger in a uniform is trying to console them. On top of that, the officer may need to ask them questions, and they may not feel like talking after they have just witnessed a traumatic incident or something going on with their family. We need to calm them down and distract them, and this is a nice tool we are given to make sure the children are a little more comfortable,” said Duran.
Ultimately, Dillon, who is the manager at Sahuaro Trophy and also serves as the president of American Legion Post 36 Auxiliary, said Book Heroes is a gratifying project, and she hopes that sharing her “why” for starting the organization will inspire others.
“Something was pulling at my heart to do this. … I want people to know that not all stories have bad endings when it comes to shelters and abuse,” she said.
