Local nonprofit helps schools replace books lost in floods

The Driftless Writing Center is helping families devastated by August floods in the Coulee Region in the best way it knows how.

The nonprofit donated over $1,000 to area schools to replace books damaged in libraries or to help students replace their own personal collections.

Driftless co-founder Lisa Henner said the donation came from a personal place.

“This is in the midst of horrendous devastation,” she said. “This is something that brings comfort to people. If my house were flooding or on fire, I probably would reach for a few books, before I would reach for my photographs.

“That’s what that means to me.”

Henner said for a child dealing with trauma, being able to dive into a favorite story might give them a sense of normalcy.

“It really is a significant contribution to be able to support literacy efforts,” Henner said. “It helps with their coping skills. They can go back to a familiar story. It kind of grounds them in a place that they know.”