One year after her Papa’s death, Olivia Van Meeteren has found a simple way to both honor him and give back to her community. She and her family have built a little library for their neighborhood and have plans to make more soon. 

The idea came to Olivia earlier this year when she was reading a bedtime story to her daughter, Everleigh. Even though reading together was a big part of their family time, this particular occasion jolted a long buried memory to the front of Olivia’s mind. 

As a child, almost every Saturday was spent at the golf course with her grandfather, “Papa,” Bob Sanders. On the way to the course, the pair had a tradition of stopping at a park in Hendersonville that had a little library box filled with books to borrow. Olivia would grab a book to read while her Papa played golf. 

“It was something special that he and I would do,” said Olivia. “I loved spending time with him.” 

The sudden memories of their Saturday tradition didn’t surprise Olivia– she’d been thinking about him a lot as the anniversary of his death was approaching. Just hours after her Papa passed away on January 31, 2022, sweet little Everleigh made her grand entrance into this world, a day that will forever be bittersweet to the family.

Olivia wanted to do something to honor her Papa, and that special childhood memory had given her the best idea. She wanted to build a “little library” for her own neighborhood. With some help from her husband, she bought the materials and got to work building the box. Her sons, 8-year-old Thomas and 4-year-old Remington helped stain the box and fill it with books donated by others in The Parks Home Community where they currently live. 

“We got an ABUNDANCE of books donated,” laughed Olivia. 

Olivia and her family have plans to do a total of five boxes by the end of the year, scattered throughout The Parks neighborhood, including one for adult books. She also hopes to mark the boxes somehow as a memorial to her Papa, the one who helped foster a love for reading and the desire to make a difference in the lives of the children around her. 

If you would like to help Olivia or get involved please contact her at omwalker109@gmail.com.

“Give a kid a book, and you change the world. In a way, even the universe.”

— Neil deGrasse Tyson