McBride’s Bookstore Brings Christmas Love to Dade Inmates, Seniors, and Children in Need

Contributed article.

McBride’s Bookstore collected books and donations to purchase books for those most in need in the Dade County and surrounding areas this holiday season. From Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, the store gave customers the option to either contribute a book or to make a donation to one of the three groups of needy people, seniors, children and inmates at the county jail.

Co-owner, Makay McBride and online sales and marketing manager, T.L. “Drew” Kreuser delivered 50 books to the Dade County Jail, including 27 Bibles (donated by the local Sexual Assault Victim’s Center) on Christmas Eve. McBride spoke well of the delivery,

“Everyone deserves to have joy at Christmas, and with these books, we hope the people incarcerated here can receive a little of the Christmas Spirit this year. This program has been an absolute and total success, as we have collected more than double as we had planned. The fact that we worked with the people at the Victim’s Center makes me feel a little better this Christmas.”

Also on Christmas Eve, Drew delivered 25 books and a cash donation to children in need. One of the children was especially needy, as the child lost a mother this past year. This family requested anonymity, but the grandparents, who are assisting in raising the child, accepted the child’s books, and based upon his loss this year, the staff felt a need to take up a collection for the family. Drew gave them a cash donation of $81 collected from the staff of McBride’s Bookstore, who are also grieving the loss of the store’s owner (Coy’s sister,) Ginger McBride this past June.

Kreuser was overjoyed, stating, “The immense gratitude all families showed us made me feel like Santa. The one particular family showed such gratitude for the child’s Christmas gift, that, at least for a moment, I felt that I could allow myself to feel joyful and to be grateful for all my blessings again. I can’t lie. We have all shed an ocean of tears recalling how Ginger made us feel. We opened McBride’s Bookstore right before Christmas, two years ago. Ginger smiled down on us, and I truly and completely felt the peace on earth that night – as if she was standing right beside me and smiling the huge smile she had. This particular family that was suffering so much loss, I felt it too. We all cried a little and smiled and hugged. Ginger made everyone she knew feel loved, especially at Christmas, and she still does!”

On Dec. 27 Coy “Bubba Que” Williams Jr., delivered 160 books and 100 magazines and a donation of $25 to the Dade County Senior Center along with his mother, Sheron Williams, secretary for the store, and Kreuser’s daughter, Katherine, who was visiting from Clemson, S.C. Owners and staff also collected among themselves to secure a gift certificate to thank the Center’s director, Marcia “Marcie” Tucker. Katherine talked about the joy of helping others.

“Literature is critically important for all of us. It is wonderful to see programs like this to support people in the local community. This was simply amazing to see the seniors excited about the books and magazines that McBride’s Bookstore was able to collect from customers and staff!”

The bookstore plans to continue to make the donation program available again to customers and the community next year, and the family and staff has set goals to ensure that Ginger’s legacy of service and kindness lives on, especially at Christmas.

McBride’s Bookstore is located at 5375 Highway 136 in Trenton. It is across the street from Guthrie’s Chicken and next door to Dr. Denis McDonald’s optometrist practice. They are open 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Contact the store at (706) 500-1017, at mcbridesbookstore@gmail.com or at www.mcbridesbookstore.com.