Meet Bookmark Bev

"It's just important to give back," is what Beverly Leifer, aka Bookmark Bev, told us at least 6 times during one of our recent visits with her. 

Bev has always had a passion for the arts and as a former recreational therapy student, scout leader, substitute teacher, and mother she knows the relaxation that comes from art.  Beverly, now a resident at the Westport Place Health Campus, says she doesn't want to spend her time playing bingo or cards; she'd rather use her artistic talents to find ways to inspire and bring a little bit of beauty to others.  Each bookmark she makes takes approximately 3 hours as she cuts the cardstock, makes unique origami decorations, adds pressed flowers (sometimes petal-by-petal), and adds an inspirational quote to the back - resulting in one of a kind spot-savers for avid and beginning readers alike.  Her bookmarks have traveled the world through friends and family who have delivered them to non-profits in Asia, Africa, and South America, and Bev donates them locally to prisons, veterans groups, after school programs, and children's hospitals. 

When we visited her, she gave us 90 unique bookmarks to share with our kiddos at Maryhurst to help "bring the joy of books" to our young readers.

She's sharp as a tack and sweet as can be. Though she can't get around as well as she used to, she's more than happy to teach origami or bookmark making to anyone who could learn and bring it back to the girls. 

Thank you Bookmark Bev!