CAZENOVIA — Cazenovia Public Library (CPL) will host its first volunteer fair on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., in the Betsy Kennedy Community Room.
Representatives of a variety of local non-profit organizations will be present to meet with community members, discuss the work they do in the community, and network with members of other non-profits.
According to CPL Assistant Director/Archives Coordinator Elisha Davies, the idea for the event came about because the staff saw a need in the community to connect people, largely due to the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and new neighbors moving to the area.
“We’ve received an uptick in calls asking what programs the library offers in the hopes of reconnecting or meeting new people,” said Davies. “We realized that the solution was bigger than just the library; we live in a community full of opportunities to get involved, and really there’s something for everyone. Interested in animals? We’ve got a group for that. Being outdoors and being stewards of our natural resources? We’ve got a group for that. Working with people? Yep, we’ve got a group for that too. We also hope that this event may facilitate future collaborations between groups.”
As of Aug. 9, the following 15 groups planned to attend: Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Cazenovia Community Preschool, Cazenovia Heritage, the Caz Lake Monitoring Program (a collaboration between the Cazenovia Lake Association and the United Climate Action Network), Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees, Community Resources for Independent Seniors, Friends of the Cazenovia Public Library/Carriage Barn Books, New Woodstock Free Library, Friendship Inn, Lorenzo State Historic Site, Cazenovia Rotary Club, The Haven at Skanda, Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association, and Young Life.
“The organizations provide a broad range of services helping animals, other community members, or the environment, and also offer a variety of ways to get involved,” said Davies. “Whether you want to spend a couple hours helping out or make a longer commitment, we hope you’ll walk away inspired to get involved and connect with our community.”
Each participating organization will have a designated table, and visitors will be invited to stop and talk with whatever group they would like to learn more about.
“We’re always happy to add another table and include more groups,” said Davies. “We just ask that there not be a financial/membership requirement for these organizations.”
Non-profits interested in participating in the fair should contact the library at [email protected] or call 315-655-9322.
“Libraries of today are more than just places to pick out books and movies,” said Davies. “They are places to learn. Yes, we learn by reading and watching, but we also learn by doing and connecting. Part of the library’s mission is to strengthen the community by connecting people, inspiring lifelong learning, and transforming lives; we believe a volunteer fair will do just that.”
Learn more about CPL at cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.
