Giving Library
Friends of the Giving Library
“When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story's voice makes everything its own.” John Berger, author
The Grewe Family and the establishment of the Giving Library
The Giving Library was created in 2001 in memory of Janet Todd Grewe. Janet was a loving mother, wife and daughter, and also a devoted teacher who understood and cherished the power reading has to improve every child’s life. She treasured the special relationship that results from reading with children. When Janet passed away, the Grewe family donated a sum of money to Mott Hospital for the creation of a pediatric library. Because it is difficult for most inpatients to leave their beds to go to a library, the idea of a mobile library was born and the Giving Library established.
Janel Fain, Pioneer Volunteer
One of the Giving Library’s first volunteers, Janel Fain’s compassion and spirit were a force unlike any other. She had a unique ability to individualize each child’s age, abilities, interests, thoughts and concerns, and immediately get to their level and talk about funny things, school, family, home and, sometimes, very private thoughts. This acute intuition evolved into a knack for knowing just what book to give a particular child at a particular moment. Janel consistently made financial donations to the program and would show up for her Tuesday volunteer shift with two large bags bursting with new books. She usually had very specific ideas of who would receive which books based on her visit the previous week.
When Janel passed away in April 2005, she left behind a legacy of giving and compassion. She was a loving wife and a successful attorney who found time to mentor foreign exchange students and be active in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, among other community efforts. The Giving Library, however, was truly her greatest passion and everyone at Mott Children’s Hospital certainly felt it.
