Books for Boots is hoping Ascension Parish helps military service members and their families this summer by creating handmade bookmarks.
The organizationโs Leave Your Mark campaign has a goal for 2,500 handmade bookmarks to accompany books distributed to service members, veterans, injured recruits, deployed troops, military families and military children.
Books for Boots is a 100% volunteer-driven organization that provides new and gently used books, movies, music CDs, puzzles and craft items to all members of the military and their families.
Books for Boots began in 2023 when founder and director Melissa Singletaryโs daughter, Mackayla, was injured at boot camp.
The Singletarys became aware of injured service membersโ needs for books and media items. Those needs also apply to other service members and their children.
Since Books for Boots began, Singletary and volunteers have collected and shipped more than 18,000 items to military bases and families.
To celebrate Americaโs 250th anniversary, Books for Boots is on a mission to provide homemade bookmarks that include drawings, stickers and positive messages for military members.
Singletary said she is hoping schools, scout troops, churches, book clubs and other community organizations will participate.
โI'd been wanting to include bookmarks with our books for quite some time, but I wanted them to be more than just a bookmark,โ Singletary said. โI wanted them to carry our message - that our service members are seen, appreciated and cared about.
โLife got busy, so I put the idea on hold until one of our volunteers, Amy, mentioned she had been making bookmarks from old books we could not use. I loved the idea, and it inspired me to finish what I had started. That became our Leave Your Mark Campaign - something anyone, anywhere can participate in.โ
Bookmarks can be made on paper, although cardstock is preferred, and decorated with crayons, markers, colored pencils, stickers, or drawings.
The bookmark campaign also gives the community a creative way to help celebrate the countryโs birthday.
โAmerica's 250th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, celebrate the values that unite us, and recognize those who continue to serve our country today,โ
Singletary said. โBut the anniversary is not just about celebrating the past. It is also about inspiring Americans to shape the future through service and civic participation.โ
The Leave Your Mark bookmark campaign will continue through the end of 2026.
Books for Boots is growing rapidly while book donations continue to pour in.
โIt's been incredible,โ Singletary said. โWe doubled the number of items we provided from 2024 to 2025. The need for books and donations is growing just as quickly. The more military installations, VA hospitals, and organizations learn about us, the more requests we receive.
โWe have about 1,000 items going out in just the next seven days. It is an amazing problem to have because it means more military members are being reached, but it also means we need more volunteers, more resources, and more space to keep up.โ
One of the desperately needed resources includes more storage space. Currently, donations are being stored at Almighty Storage in Prairieville.
โWe're operating out of storage units, and we've simply outgrown them,โ Singletary said. โLike most small nonprofits, we operate on a very tight budget. Our volunteers all have jobs and families, so most of our time goes toward sorting, packing, and delivering items rather than fundraising. A larger space - or eventually a building of our own - would make a tremendous difference.โ
The organizationโs biggest fundraiser of the year is approaching and will utilize the help of Gonzales VFW Post 3693.
The Red, White, & Boots Festival will be held at the VFW on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The family-friendly day will feature vendors, a Jeep show, a silent auction, inflatables, a petting zoo and pony rides, and music. Various musical entertainment will be provided with Blue Crab Redemption as the headlining band.
Money raised during The Red, White, & Boots Festival will be used to help keep Books for Boots operating, Singletary said.
โFunds cover things like our storage costs, insurance, our website, shipping, boxes, tape, bookshelves, and other supplies needed to get donations into the hands of military members,โ Singletary said.
For more information about the Leave Your Mark bookmark campaign, visit ; for more information about drop-off locations for donated books, go to .
For more information about The Red, White, & Boots Festival, visit .