GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids mother is giving old books new life by partnering with a local library to get reading materials into the hands of children who need them most.
Jeni Stamas has turned her love of reading into a mission that has delivered more than 10,000 books around Kent County. Her journey began with a simple social media post that caught her attention.
"I was on Facebook one day and saw that there was an erroneous post that the KDL was throwing away books. And I went, huh, that doesn't seem quite right," Stamas said.
She decided to investigate.
"I knew that we could re-purpose them, so if they were getting thrown away, I could do something. So I called the library," Stamas said.
The library clarified they weren't throwing books away, but they were curious about her re-purposing idea. This conversation sparked a partnership with the nonprofit Friends of Cascade Library.
Now, donated books and older titles pulled from library shelves get a second chance.
Stamas loads them onto her cart and packs them into her trunk for delivery to schools, charities and directly to children in need.
"Children need to be able to touch books," Stamas said. "If I can bring them to them and take one less barrier out of the way to get a book in the hand of a child, I will do it. And that is my ultimate goal."
For Stamas, reading has always been transformative.
"When I was really young it was the imagination and the escape. It was, I could think, I could dream. I wasn't told no," Stamas said. "I think knowledge is power in lots of different ways, but it starts with just words on a page."
She passed that love on to her two children, making the library a second home for their family.
"We started coming when they were infants, when mom needed a chance to get away, be around other people," Stamas said. "We would come to the library, and we would check out books."
Joe David, president of Friends of Cascade Library, praised her efforts.
"You know, paying it forward, that's really exactly what this is," David said. "I think what she's doing is absolutely phenomenal and unbelievable and wonderful and certainly to be commended."
Maryann Lane from Friends of Cascade Library emphasized the importance of the mission.
"I think it's vitally important, because there are so many people that don't have books and they cannot access books," Lane said. "[The donated books] may be slightly older, slightly yellow sometimes, but they're in good shape."
Despite the scope of her impact, Stamas remains humble about her role.
"This is just one tiny little spec in the whole flow of books in Kent County but I get to be part of it," Stamas said. "It was something I saw a need, and I could do something about it."
Stamas hopes to expand the operation beyond Kent County and sees no ending in sight for her mission.
"The best compliment I get is a child who has no desire to talk to me anymore, because they want to go sit in their chair and flip through the pages of whatever book I brought them. And that is the best joy," Stamas said.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Stamas receives a $550 prize.
Know someone who should be featured next month? Nominate them here.
Meet Markesha Witherspoon, our October 2025 Pay it Forward Person of the Month.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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