SARASOTA, FL – Goodwill Manasota invites all book lovers to join one – or both – of its book clubs, which will feature classic and modern offerings for reading and discussion. The sessions, offered through Goodwill’s Good Neighbor program of classes and workshops, take place once a month for each group, starting in October, and are free and open to the public.
The Classics Book Club, which will meet at the Honore Community Room (1704 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota) on the third Thursday of each month at 4 p.m., pulls titles from various “Greatest Books of All Time” lists. The October featured book is “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson; November is “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell; and December is “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens.
The Modern Book Club, which will meet at the North Sarasota Community Room (5150 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota) on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., will focus on current popular and highly-recommended novels from various must-read lists of the moment. The October featured book is “Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel” by George Saunders; November is “Golden Hill: a Novel of Old New York” by Francis Spufford; and December is “Reincarnation Blues” by Michael Poore.
“Our Good Neighbor program has really grown in terms of quantity and diversity of offerings,” said Samantha Valentin, Goodwill Manasota’s community engagement manager. “Whether someone is a fan of the classics or prefers current best-sellers, these clubs are the perfect opportunity for community members to connect with other book enthusiasts for discussion and social interaction. We encourage potential participants to call or visit one of our bookstore locations to see if they can find any of the upcoming titles at a fantastic price!”
Participants are asked to read the books prior to the club meetings. While these events are free, interested community members are asked to reserve their seats at experiencegoodwill.org/classes.
Goodwill Manasota’s Good Neighbor program was launched more than 20 years ago to provide community meeting places, free of charge. The program was designed to meet specific needs of each community and the residents who lived there. Goodwill has expanded the program over the years to offer classes and seminars through strategic alliances between Goodwill and other organizations and businesses.
Today, Goodwill Manasota’s community rooms, located in Goodwill’s primary retail centers throughout the region, host numerous free, instructor-led classes on a variety of topics and volunteer-directed activities, providing a place where local residents can enrich their lives through educational, cultural and social programs. Goodwill Manasota is able to provide these free classes and services to the community thanks to the sales of donated goods.
For more information, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.