Gutiérrez’s life changed after finding a copy of Anna Karenina in the trash (垃圾) 20 years ago. It happened one night when he saw discarded books while driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods. It ignited his desire to start rescuing books from the trash. He took home about 50 books every morning after his night shift. Eventually, he turned his book collection into a community library for children from low-income families.

Bogota, Colombia’s capital, has 19 public libraries. However, they are far away from where rural and poorer communities live. The option of buying new books is out of reach for families struggling to make ends meet. Gutiérrez’s community library is a true representation of how one man’s trash can be another’s treasure. “I don’t think I’m doing something so great. The library is simply a bridge between people who throw books and those who have no access to books,” he said about his remarkable efforts.

Today, his library, called “the Strength of Words”, contains over 20, 000 books and occupies most of his home. Everything from school textbooks to storybooks can be found in his collection. The library is open every weekend, when neighborhood children pour in. “The whole value of the library lies in helping kids start reading. This is important for kids in Bogota where many young people kill time in the streets and fall victim to vices such as taking drugs,” said Gutiérrez.

Gutiérrez grew up poor, and his family couldn’t afford to educate him beyond primary school. Nevertheless, he never lets a lack of formal education stop him from reading. “Books are the greatest invention of human beings. There’s nothing more beautiful than having a book handy,” Guiérrez said. His journey to giving back to his local community is an amazing example of how every one of us can improve the lives of those around us by identifying needs, investing time and finding a simple solution.