Bookseller stories

Morning is slowly stirring on a hot summer day in downtown Brighton, Michigan – traffic is light and there are still parking spots along the quaint street lined with overflowing petunia baskets. Nestled in the middle of Main Street, located below street level, is the 2 Dandelions Bookshop where owners Jeri Kay (Dandelion #1) and Jeanne (Dandelion #2) are sitting in the pre-opening quiet reliving an unexpected surprise that happened the morning of the store’s opening day.

When a loved one passes away, it’s a hard time for a family no matter the circumstances. And when their loved one’s death was unplanned for, it can fall hard on the grieving family when the funeral expenses create hardship. When savings are limited, this unexpected and often large expense creates a further burden on a family who is trying to process their sadness and grief.

In 2019 we received more assistance requests for help paying for medical care than any other category of emergency assistance. According to a recent Gallup survey, a third of U.S. adults say their family couldn’t afford care in the past year. When booksellers and comic retailers delay or forgo required medical treatment, problems escalate and become more expensive and even life-threatening. This was the situation faced by a bookseller recently, but because of supporters like you, they knew where to call for help.

If you see it in the news, Binc is helping booksellers through it. Booksellers are reaching out to Binc every day for help recovering from natural disasters, needing mental health resources and assistance, immigration issues, and more. Thanks to partners and donors like you, Binc is here, standing by ready to help every qualifying bookseller in the country.

There are times in life when it seems that everything is going wrong at once. Or that the universe is conspiring against you. The good news is, because of you, during these hard moments when it feels like there is nowhere to turn and the unexpected pile-on of bad news feels unending, Binc is here and ready to help.

The helpline continues to ring and emails are coming in every day from booksellers who are on the edge of crisis. Disaster season is here and with it comes earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. But not every natural disaster is a weather-related event. Some can be as tiny as a bed bug. The good news is, because of you, Binc is here and ready to help.

It has been an extremely busy few weeks at the Binc Foundation. Many more requests are coming in this year than this time last year, and the need for funds is also higher – and disaster season hasn’t even gotten started. The helpline is ringing and emails are coming in every day from booksellers who are on the edge of crisis. The good news is, because of you, Binc is here and ready to help get these booksellers through some of the most difficult times in their lives.

A bookseller recently scheduled a routine eye exam which led to the discovery of a brain tumor. The news was devastating for the bookseller and their partner and families. It meant months of medical appointments, missed worked for both the bookseller and their bookselling partner, driving long distances to meet with specialists, an invasive and intense brain surgery, multiple medications, and a long recovery period. The bookseller’s partner said it was all incredibly stressful and was threatening to derail them financially. That’s when someone at their bookstore reminded them, they could contact Binc.

We receive phone calls and emails every day from booksellers during some of the most difficult and scary times in their lives. And because of you, we can help. That is why we’re starting this new monthly series from Binc – so you can see the life-saving and life-changing impact you have every day in the lives of booksellers.

Together, we can keep the booksellers’ safety net strong, allowing booksellers to stay in their jobs, in their communities, and doing the work they love.