It’s no secret that being a bookseller is hard work, but thankfully they have the book industry charitable foundation known as Binc to lean on when times are tough.  Billed as “the saftey net for booksellers,” Binc has provided more than $6 million in financial assistance and scholarships to bookseller employees since its inception in 1996. The foundation has helped with everything from paying for serious medical expenses, utilities, and even funeral costs.

As the only nonprofit dedicated to providing aid to bookstore employees, Binc is fully funded by generous supporters and is currently hosting an online auction called Bank on Booksellers.  One hundred authors, illustrators, and celebrities like Judy Blume, Katherine Applegate, Kate DiCamillo, Jeff Kinney, and Marc Brown decorated piggy banks to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. (Check out the selection here.) Ten thousand dollars have been raised so far, but the auction ends Saturday. Help Binc bring home the bacon by placing a bid at the foundation’s secure website.

To all the booksellers and everyone else in the path of Hurricane Florence, please be safe. We are all thinking of you.