For years, Manlius Library has had a collection basket for the local food pantry, Fayetteville Manlius Community Outreach, Inc. Generous patrons drop off bags of food and library staff members bring the donations over to the food pantry on East Seneca Street.
Starting this month, the library has expanded its partnership with F-M Community Outreach, Inc. to include a free book stop, where the 160 families who use the food pantry can pick up books to keep.
“I am delighted at the partnership we’ve created to promote the wonderful, free resources we have in our community,” said Linda Napier, executive director of F-M Community Outreach.
The library donated bookshelves to create the book stop, which is stocked with donated and withdrawn library books. The library also provided library card applications and sign-up information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program locally administered by the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County that mails a free picture book to children every month until their fifth birthday.
“We are very excited to be able to expand our library services into the community,” said library Director Jennifer Milligan. “By partnering with the F-M Community Outreach, we are able to share books and information about library services with a wider audience. We look forward to the opportunity for future collaborations.”
F-M Community Outreach is a not-for-profit charitable organization that coordinates all outreach within the Fayetteville Manlius (F-M) School District, providing clothing for school-age children and emergency food assistance for over 350 individuals, totaling 4,000 to 5,000 meals per month.
