Meet Your Neighbor: Golff couple provide books, toys to children

Sheri Trusty
·3 min read

FREMONT - As a Qualified Mental Health Specialist and a former Head Start employee, Brandeis Garcia-Golff understands the importance of literacy at all ages. When COVID-19 isolated children and created literacy barriers, she and her husband, Linzie Golff, stepped in to help. They created The Children’s Book Fairy and distributed books and toys to children’s homes, but soon, their help exploded in many different directions.

“People were doing wine fairies during COVID and dropping off wine, and I began to wonder if people would like us to deliver books,” Brandeis said.

When COVID-19 isolated children and created barriers to literacy, Brandies Garcia-Golff and her husband, Linzie Golff, created The Children’s Book Fairy to get books into the hands of children.
When COVID-19 isolated children and created barriers to literacy, Brandies Garcia-Golff and her husband, Linzie Golff, created The Children’s Book Fairy to get books into the hands of children.

The Golffs packed 23 bags with books, board games, and toys. When they made an announcement on Facebook, they received 50 requests for bags and numerable offers to help.

“Within a week, people were dropping off donations of books,” Brandeis said.

The Golffs added to those donations by purchasing gently used books at Share and Care and from Birchard Public Library’s culled books collection.

Couple steps forward to deliver books, more to families

As they connected with families, they recognized needs beyond literacy, and a mental health and family stability element was added to The Children’s Book Fairy.

“When we delivered bags, we found that families had a lot of needs during COVID. There was funding, but people didn’t know how to apply for it,” Brandies said. “We got involved with a lot of local agencies and helped people apply.”

Brandeis was surprised to learn that limited reading skills were preventing families from understanding safety measures during COVID-19.

“One thing that disturbed me about COVID was that people couldn’t follow the instructions the CDC was putting out because they couldn’t understand them, even though they were written at a high school reading level,” she said. “In the U.S., the average reading level is fourth grade.”

'Anywhere they need help, we help'

The discovery reenforced the importance of putting books in kids’ hands, and it inspired Brandeis to offer literacy tutoring.

“Anywhere they need help, we help,” Linzie said.

Books are displayed outside the The Children’s Book Fairy office at Pontifex. Although the organization initially focused on books and literacy, it quickly expanded to include mental health and family stability.
Books are displayed outside the The Children’s Book Fairy office at Pontifex. Although the organization initially focused on books and literacy, it quickly expanded to include mental health and family stability.

To further inspire kids’ education, the Golffs started a young entrepreneur program, but that, too, transformed into a way to help adults.

“We found that adults needed this, too,” Brandies said. “We helped them get business paperwork filed to become an LLC and helped them get funding for education. We just started helping.”

Brandeis works as a Qualified Mental Health Specialist for Safe Haven Behavioral Health, so she “leaned more into the mental health this year,” she said.

Golffs hosted group to address mental health for young minorities

The Golffs hosted a mental health focus group at Star of Faith Ministries to address mental health in young minorities. Twelve youths attended the workshop, which gave them space to address concerns specific to young minorities in Sandusky County.

Brandeis also became a volunteer parenting coach for inmates in the Sandusky County Jail through the IGNITE program. Sandusky County Sheriff Christopher Hilton started the merit-based curriculum program to help inmates find success post-incarceration.

“I do that every Monday. It’s a great opportunity to have an attentive ear,” she said.

The Children’s Book Fairy office is inside Pontifex, thanks to Pontifex founder, Jan Nowak.

“Jan called us and said pick a room,” Brandeis said. “We couldn’t do this without her. She really blessed us.”

In the midst of all the added programs, the Golffs were still delivering books. Since starting, the Golffs have given away over 800 bags and about 2,000 books. Aside from donated books, the Golffs have funded the project themselves, but donations are welcome to The Children’s Book Fairy, which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

For more information on The Children’s Book Fairy, call 567-201-1661, email tbookfairy@gmail.com, or visit facebook.com/Thechildrensbookfairy.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Meet Your Neighbor: Children's Book Fairy helps promote literacy