Foundation Focus

Volunteer Highlight

High school junior Charlotte Mills has a fondness for literature that piqued her interest in becoming a Given Tufts Bookshop volunteer over the summer. A lover of poetry and non-fiction, she was excited to discover an interesting range of genres in the reimagined sections of the store that were created this year. With a concentration on History and French, she is appreciative of her knowledge of literature from reading the classics in school.

As a frequent patron of the Roast Office, she became aware of the opportunity to volunteer while browsing the stacks when she popped in for a coffee. The flexible schedule coupled with the opportunity to expand her knowledge of unique finds as well as popular works made it an even more appealing way to spend her time. Charlotte says that working with the other volunteers was enjoyable because “everyone is excited to be there!” She learned how the bookshop promotes itself through social media posts, primarily created by Dianne, a longtime volunteer with whom Charlotte worked often. She was also curious to see the manager’s side of the business with setting up displays and organizing inventory.  

Charlotte in the Given Tufts Bookshop

Although it was her first experience in retail, she found the training to be straightforward, mostly requiring alphabetization, she says with a laugh, and thoughtful consideration as to a customer’s preferences. It surprised her that while perusing for their next favorite book, customers also inquired about local happenings in the village, so she was glad to be in-the-know in order to provide helpful information to make their visit more enjoyable. She says many customers focused on the Vault and were surprised to find so many New Books available. 

When asked about her perspective working for a nonprofit, she said she got to volunteer in a way that’s not typical and was proud that her work was directly supporting the library and archives through the upkeep of the bookshop. When customers asked about the beneficiary of the book sales, she was able to talk about Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives. She could tell there wasn’t much awareness of the archives so she encouraged them to take time to visit to “learn more about the area’s rich history between rounds.”  

In all, it was a win-win for Miss Mills and the Given Tufts Bookshop - she needed volunteer hours for school and the shop got a dedicated and eager volunteer during a season when they can be short-staffed due to summer vacations. Charlotte encourages others to consider donating some of their time in the bookshop when possible, especially those who have a keen interest in literature but do not have time to commit to a full time job. 

For more information about volunteering at the bookshop, visit giventuftsfoundation.com.

Local Lore

Mrs. Gooding on the front porch of her Pinehurst home, which belonged to her grandparents

In a town that has maintained its small-town integrity and rich history, one family still remembers when deliveries were addressed to cottage names rather than street numbers and purchases in town were charged to your account.

Born in Pinehurst where both sets of her grandparents lived, Jill Gooding remembers the good old days when the Tufts Family still owned and maintained the town. Her grandparents were B.U. and Dora Richardson, and Rassie and Dolly Wicker. Both grandfathers had come to Pinehurst in the early 1900s to work as the small town developed. Richardson worked at the original bank, and Wicker printed the daily menus for the hotels and did any other job he was asked to do - at just twelve years old. Richardson eventually was appointed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the Pinehurst Postmaster in 1944, and Wicker became a civil engineer, surveyor, and Moore County historian.

Those were the days when the town closed the hotels in the summer and opened them in late fall for the many guests attracted to the small Southern town and its weather, activities, and lifestyle. Most of the businesses in the heart of town were owned by local residents, who walked to work, walked home for lunch, then returned to business for the afternoon. There were few, if any, parking issues! Most stores were closed on Wednesday afternoons and folks worked at least a half day on Saturday until the noon whistle blew, signaling the workday was over.

Jill remembers, as a child, many trips each year with her parents and grandparents back and forth across the country for visits to various military bases. Jim Wicker, her Dad, had survived a B-17 crash and was interned as a POW during WWII. Lucky to be alive, he continued his career as a military pilot. Every vacation the family ever took was to Pinehurst, where she remembers her grandmother Richardson walking to the grocery store downtown to pick out supper. Several times, Jill lived and attended school in Pinehurst so that her education would not be disrupted due to a change in duty station.



Her aunt Eloise, a teacher and organist at the Community Church, sold cookies at the Woman’s Exchange where Jill remembers having lunch with her grandma on many occasions. Her mother, Nancy Richardson Wicker, was a teacher who lived in the Sycamore cottage. She recounted walking past the Holly Inn and seeing the conscientious objectors who were housed there during WWII as part of a military medical experiment with the common cold.



To read the rest of Jill's reminiscent love of life in the Sandhills, check out the rest of the story!

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