This month, Manual’s National English Honors Society (NEHS) is holding its annual book drive. The donated books are going to be delivered to the Indiana Department of Child Services. Donations of gently used books of any genre are accepted until Feb. 27 in Emily Sales’ (English) room.
Contributors can receive one service hour per two books donated, with a maximum of three hours.
Sales (English) took over Manual’s chapter of NEHS after COVID, and last year was the first year the club returned to normal operation.
The club works on service projects surrounding literacy in both Manual and the surrounding community. In 2024, the club virtually tutored students from Ukraine in English as a Second Language. That same year, they also started an annual book drive, partnering with the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL).
“During the last board, we wanted to create something that we could leave behind, a tradition,” NEHS president Myna Nguyen (12, VA) said.
This year, the Indiana Department of Child Services is distributing books to shelters for unhoused people, specifically women and children. The NEHS officers decided that this year, they wanted the drive to span a larger area instead of being centralized.
“Books provide a lot of comfort throughout my life. It’s always been a way I’ve been able to escape, and hopefully people in difficult circumstances can also find that same comfort accessible to them,” Sales said.
NEHS’ upcoming projects are a member drive in March to encourage new members and applicants as well as peer review sessions for sophomores in AP Seminar. They are offering free, live feedback on their Individual Research Reports and Individual Written Arguments. The sessions will take place after school on March 11 and April 14 after school in Sales’ room, 229.
Students who are interested in literary justice, excel in reading and writing, have a 3.5 GPA in English classes and are passionate about their Manual community or community service are encouraged to apply for the 2026-27 school year.
