Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Get Real Ministries and Veterans Connection Organization (VCO) in Bartlesville have partnered to provide a "neighborhood library."

VCO Executive Assistant Janie Palmer says Get Real Ministries gave them the honor to establish the first of several of these mailboxes full of books. Palmer says the books are for visitors of the church to read.

Pictured left to right: Pastor Shiloh Gamble, Pastor Rando Gamble and VCO Executive Assistant Janie Palmer.

Palmer says the purpose of the neighborhood library is that they do benefits for veterans, but they also help with needs in community. She says Joni Elmore with Bartlesville Public Library's Literacy Program played a major role in this endeavor.

Palmer added that her father was an Army veteran that could write, but he couldn't read before he enlisted in the military. She says her father knew how to read by the time he got out of the Army, so helping others learn how to read is dear to her heart. 

Pastor Shiloh Gamble – a veteran – says it has been an incredible blessing to join forces to provide reading materials to those in need. Gamble says God had everything worked out and helped them fulfill a vision thanks to VCO.

Pastor Gamble says Get Real Ministries sees plenty of people that are either passing by, coming off the streets or out of jail that can't read or struggle to read. Gamble says these individuals generally sit and wait before they head out to their next destination. She says the neighborhood library will give people passing by or coming for worship something to read, including the Word of God on top of other books.

Palmer says local Boy Scout Troops have promised to make more of the mailboxes full of books to disperse throughout the community. She says they have ideas in mind for other locations that they hope to establish neighborhood libraries, but if you have a place in mind, you can get ahold of VCO.

If you wish to donate books, you can visit either VCO's or Get Real Ministries' Facebook pages.

Palmer says you can also send an email to VCO at vcobville@gmail.com. She says she checks the email constantly so they will be sure to pick up your donation(s) of reading materials as soon as possible.

Gamble says you can even bring books to Get Real Thrifty at 208 E. 2nd Street in Bartlesville. Get Real Ministries is located at 411 W. 14th Street in Bartlesville.

Pictured above: Gamble and Palmer load the mailbox full of books for people to read.

Pictured above: VCO Executive Director Sharon Reese (left) shares Palmer's excitement during community outreach.