Our story
This is our passion project. The Foreshadow Foundation.
When we first met at Marietta College, we didn’t make plans to change the world, but we’ve always been drawn to helping others. In the years after we graduated, we maintained our strong friendship and our desire to serve those less fortunate than us. We simply didn’t know how until we stumbled onto this amazing cause.
The idea for the Foreshadow Foundation started with a single book drive in Morgan County, Ohio. One of our co-founders, Laura Gilbert, was compelled to find a way to memorialize her aunt who had passed away from cancer. She was an inspirational teacher and librarian from that area whose impact reached far beyond the county lines. The book drive was met with such enthusiasm and support that we realized that this was our call to action.
From this first book drive we were able to see just how limited resources are for rural areas, such as southeast Ohio. After further investigation, we discovered the impact that limited access to books can have on a child’s ability to read. All of this led to our Free Book Fairs. A way to get children in rural communities excited about reading by allowing them to pick their very own book to take home.
We continue to look for new ways to increase access to books and move the needle on childhood literacy. We’re still early in our journey, but we know that we can truly help children turn the page to something greater.