My name is Michelle Van Benthem, and my husband Zach and I are the founders of Books from the Heart! In 2016 our beautiful twin daughters, Stella and Joy, were stillborn just 5 days before my scheduled c-section. While this absolutely devastated and crushed our family, we knew that something good had to come from our loss. Part of our nursery theme was based around books and at my shower we asked for children's books instead of cards. Because of this, we decided the best way to honor our daughters’ legacy was to hold a book drive in their memory. The 1st Stella & Joy Memorial Book Drive began in 2017, right before their 1st birthday. 

We started small, just asking for donations from friends and family through posts on social media. People donated new and used books as well as cash/checks/Venmo donations. On December 2nd, Stella & Joy’s birthday, we take any monetary donations and go book shopping as a way to honor them. In 2019, we were supported by the students and families at Indian Valley Middle School who asked to make our little book drive their December fundraiser.

For 7 years our book drives have been supported by family and friends. Looking to do more, we created Books from the Heart to drive our mission further and reach more families. Books from the Heart runs entirely on donations. While our annual Stella & Joy Book Drive runs from November-December, we hope to expand our efforts year round. Our vision is to have schools, companies, and other groups join our mission by holding their own book drives and allowing us to provide books to more places and support children in their reading adventures.