With the recent release of co-founder Jena Lee Nardella’s first memoir, “One Thousand Wells,” we’ve been talking a lot about books. So that made us think – we should start a Blood:Water Book Club!

Since the founding days of Blood:Water, so much of the culture formed as staff read the same books, discussing and learning alongside one another. In fact, one of our core values is teachability. Our values demand that we be transparent with others about the challenges and lessons we are learning.

With that in mind, we would love to invite you to read and learn with us!

Each month, we’ll choose a book that has somehow shaped what we know as an organization, that relates to our work, or that provides inspiration. (We’re also open to suggestions, so if you have a great recommendation, please let us know!) As we read through the book, a different staff member will blog about their thoughts on what we’re reading each week. Then, at the end of the book, we’ll host a live, online discussion!

The first book we’ll dive into is “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

To kick off, we’re even giving away one free copy of the book! Post the message below to Facebook (be sure to tag Blood:Water), and email [email protected] to let us know you’ve posted it before 4:00 p.m. CT today. We’ll select a random winner by 5:00 p.m., and notify you via email.

I’m joining the Blood:Water‪#‎bookclub! We’re reading When Helping Hurts, and I want to win a copy! Help me by liking this post!

Read the first section and check back next week for the first staff reflection.

Happy reading!