When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Lisa Huang, Supervisory Librarian for the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS), saw first-hand the effect COVID-19 had on Veterans. That’s when she teamed up with Whole Health Service coaches Rochelle Shipman, Kellie McGruder-Miller, and Keashia Thomas to start an innovative virtual book club.
Together, the team selected inspirational books that reflected a range of reading interests, and participants met to discuss the books using VA Video Connect. Veterans could also sign in early if they wanted to socialize. The program was a success and has been growing ever since.
For Navy Veteran Donald Cooper, the virtual book club gave him another way to interact with people outside of his normal circle of friends and family. “Being a part of this group is great because it gives me perspective and helps with getting me through long stretches of time in isolation.”
