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OREM, Utah — Members of Utah's Filipino community recently gathered for a book drive designed to help educators in the Philippines establish classroom and school libraries.

"This [book drive] is great to be able to make a big difference in those children's lives," Liana Au said, "to help to love reading, love learning, love education."

Filipino community leaders organized the event for a new nonprofit called Bookworms for the Philippines. Rina Amizola Ecker, who experienced the absence of a school library while growing up in Tubigon, Bohol, established the organization earlier this year.

"The goal is to help schools in the Philippines," Ecker said, "to build libraries and give them books that they need."

Thanks to book drives, and donations from schools in the Salt Lake City area, Bookworms for the Philippines now has two 20-foot shipping containers of books.

Ecker said the plan is to send those containers to Bohol later this fall. Once the books arrive, local educators will use them to replace worn-out reading materials and establish library programs and services at 12 different schools.

"It's an ongoing mission," she said. "There is a lot of work to do."

That's why Ecker is grateful for the recent book drive in Orem and the support of Utah's Filipino community.

"My heart is just so full right now," she said. "Like overwhelming joy."