To help feed the hungry in the community, while offering library customers a way to ease their own financial burdens, the Fayette County Public Library is partnering with Fayette Samaritans to host a “Food for Fines” drive beginning the day after Labor Day. Food collection containers will be located inside the library from Sept. 2 through Oct. 31.
Here is how the “Food for Fines” drive works: A library customer fills a grocery bag with non-perishable food items and brings it to the circulation desk at the library. In return for each standard-size plastic grocery bag filled with approved items, the customer receives a “Get Out of Fines Free” card, redeemable for $5 in overdue fines. Participants are welcome to donate as many bags of food as they wish through the end of October, and collect “Get Out of Fines Free” cards for future use. The cards expire on Jan. 31, 2015, and are redeemable only at the Fayette County Public Library location in downtown Fayetteville. “Get Out of Fines Free” cards are applicable only to overdue fines for items returned past their due dates—they cannot be used to pay for lost or damaged library items.
According to Fayette Samaritans, the most needed food items currently include: cereal, canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, beef stew, sloppy joe, spaghetti), juice, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, macaroni and cheese dinners, and canned soup.
Fayette Samaritans request that people avoid donating canned corn and canned green beans, as these items are not needed at this time. Donated food items must be non-perishable, unopened, and unexpired, and may not be in glass containers. Also welcome are the following non-food items: bar soap, shampoo, feminine products, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet tissue, laundry detergent, liquid dish detergent, and spray cleaners.
Fayette Samaritans is a Christian ministry chartered in 1991 to serve Fayette County residents in need, providing food, clothing and emergency financial assistance. The organization is located at 126 Hickory Road, behind the Fayetteville Christian Church.
The Fayette County Public Library is located behind the Fayette County administrative complex in downtown Fayetteville, at the southwest corner of Highways 85 and 54. For additional information, please contact the library at 770-461-8841.
