Cosby Bookstore Owner Gives Back Despite Hurricane Impact

Cosby Bookstore Fights for Survival After Hurricane Helene Devastates Community

COSBY, Tenn. – The holiday season is typically‍ a time of bustling crowds and overflowing shelves at “Our Place” Bookstore. But this year, owner ⁣Deann Hines faces a stark reality: empty parking spaces and dwindling‍ customers in the wake of Hurricane ⁤Helene.”We pretty much lost most of October, which is ⁤our biggest month of the year,” Hines said, her voice heavy wiht worry. “That gets us thru ⁤Christmas. Christmas gets us through winter. Now,here we are. It’s going to be a very, very ⁤quiet winter.”

While the bookstore itself escaped damage from the devastating floods, the economic fallout has hit Cosby hard.Many residents lost thier jobs, homes,‍ and⁤ businesses,⁢ leaving little room for discretionary spending on books.”There’s not gonna be much ⁣money⁤ here because everyone’s lost their jobs, homes and businesses,” Hines explained. “It’s complicated.”

Despite the ⁤bleak outlook, Hines remains persistent to keep⁢ “Our ‍Place” afloat. The ‍bookstore, a beloved community fixture for 20 years, has weathered many storms.This time, Hines plans to adapt by focusing⁢ on online sales and shipping, reaching customers beyond Cosby’s struggling ‍economy.

“We’ll have to shift gears and do⁢ more online ⁤sales and promote shipping for some of ⁢our customers who ‍aren’t here,” she said. “We’re doing a lot ⁢of that right now. We’ll continue doing that‍ just to sustain⁢ ourselves until spring comes around and hopefully,it’ll get better.”

Even as she fights for her own business’s⁣ survival, Hines hasn’t forgotten the needs of her community. She’s partnered with the 21st Century Packhorse Librarian, a group dedicated to providing free books ⁣to Helene-impacted communities.

At a recent‍ event in Cosby, Hines donated numerous books, helping families‍ replace lost treasures and discover new favorites. Catalina ⁤Ottolina, a mother⁤ of ⁢three who lost all her children’s books ⁢in the flood, expressed her gratitude.

“It was just gut-wrenching to throw all those‍ beautiful books away,” Ottolina shared.⁣ “So this is a very⁣ uplifting⁤ thing that ⁢these librarians⁢ are ‍doing.This feeds the ⁢soul. This lifts our spirits.”

For Hines, seeing the joy books bring to‍ her community, even in the face of hardship, ⁤is a powerful⁣ reminder⁢ of why she perseveres.

“They’ve lost a lot and everything has been very traumatic,” she said. “A lot of kids went through⁢ a lot that we’ll never even ⁣be able to understand. Books are a good source of possibly ‍escaping into a happy story and⁢ they may be coming out of‍ it with a new optimism.”

As Cosby slowly begins⁣ to ⁣rebuild, “Our Place” Bookstore stands as a beacon of⁤ hope, offering not just stories, but a sense ⁢of community and resilience in the face of adversity.

“Our Place” Bookstore Fights for Survival After Hurricane Helene Devastates Community

COSBY, Tenn. – ⁣The cozy atmosphere of “Our Place” bookstore, usually bustling with holiday shoppers, is subdued this year. Owner Deann Hines faces the harsh reality of empty shelves and dwindling customers‍ in the wake of Hurricane Helene. ‍

“We pretty much lost most⁢ of October, which is our biggest month of the⁤ year,” hines said, her voice heavy with worry. “That gets us through Christmas. Christmas gets us through winter. Now, here we are. It’s going to be a very,very quiet winter.”

While the bookstore itself was spared from flood damage, the economic fallout has deeply impacted Cosby. Many residents lost their jobs, homes, ‍and businesses, leaving little room for discretionary spending ‍on books.

“There’s not gonna be much money here because everyone’s lost their jobs, homes and businesses,” Hines explained. ⁢“It’s elaborate.”

despite the bleak outlook,Hines remains determined to keep “Our Place” afloat. ‍The bookstore, a⁣ beloved community fixture for 20 years, has weathered many storms. This⁣ time, Hines plans to adapt by focusing on online sales and shipping, reaching customers beyond Cosby’s struggling economy.

“We’ll have to shift gears and⁢ do‍ more online sales and promote shipping for some of our customers who aren’t here,” she said. “We’re doing a lot of that right now. We’ll continue doing that just to ⁤sustain ourselves until ⁢spring comes around and hopefully, it’ll get better.”

Even as she fights for her own business’s survival, Hines hasn’t forgotten the needs of her community. She partnered with the 21st Century Packhorse Librarian, a group dedicated to ⁣providing free books to‍ Helene-impacted communities.

At a recent event in Cosby, Hines⁣ donated numerous books, ⁣helping families ‍replace lost treasures and discover new favorites. Catalina Ottolina, a⁤ mother of three who lost all her children’s books in the flood, expressed her gratitude.

“It was just gut-wrenching to throw all those stunning books away,” Ottolina shared. “So this is a very uplifting ⁢thing that these librarians are doing. This feeds the⁤ soul. This lifts our spirits.”

For Hines,seeing the joy books bring to her community,even in the face of hardship,is a powerful reminder of why she perseveres.

“They’ve lost a lot and everything has been very traumatic,”⁤ she said. “A lot of kids went ‍through a lot ⁤that we’ll never even be able to understand. Books are⁤ a good source of possibly escaping into a happy story and they may be coming out of it with a new⁣ optimism.”

As Cosby slowly begins ⁢to rebuild, “Our Place”⁤ Bookstore stands as a beacon of hope, offering not just stories, but a sense of community and resilience in the face of adversity.