“Taking food away from a child in front of their peers, or limiting their access to school activities or athletics over meal debt, is downright wrong — not to mention mean,” said Cassellius.
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Category: basic-needs
At Boston Public Library, New Positions to Help the Homeless
“The new Outreach Manager ‘will work as part of a team providing assessment, crisis intervention and intensive case management services,’ and will be based out of the Boston Public Library’s central branch in Copley Square.
Additionally, Boston Public Library is hiring a reference librarian who will specialize in health and human services and recently launched an addiction recovery resources guide, which includes information on substance use and recovery services designed for active users and their loved ones.”
Empty Pockets, Broken Spirits: Poverty’s Impact Reaches Far Beyond Money
“It’s like if you don’t go into an area that’s poor, you don’t understand or appreciate the area that’s poor,” City Councilman John Garland, a native Roanoker, said during the kickoff meeting at the Jackson Park Library in Southeast Roanoke.
Saving Lives in the Stacks: How Libraries are Handling the Opioid Crisis
“Libraries from California to Colorado, Pennsylvania to Missouri, are finding themselves on the front lines of a battle they never anticipated fighting.”
Libraries Struggle With A New Role: Social Services Center
“We don’t judge anyone as they come in,” said Hawaii State Librarian Stacey Aldrich. “That’s the beauty of a library. That’s the way it should be. We’re one of the most democratic spaces.”
The Hawaii State Public Library System is seeking $146,556 over fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to hire a manager who would be responsible for training library staff statewide and creating partnerships with social service agencies.
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Dallas Library Strives To Be Haven For Homeless
“A big city library has turned around the way it deals with some of its most marginalized visitors. The Dallas Public Library has committed to not just tolerating—but welcoming—every homeless person who walks through the door.”
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COURTNEY COLLINS / KERA NEWS
Joliet Library Helps Provide Winter Supplies to Local Homeless Population
“Being in the downtown area, the Joliet Public Library is uniquely positioned to be able to partner with other organizations to provide assistance to the unsheltered here in Joliet,” said Megan Millen, Executive Director of the Joliet Public Library, in a news release. “Thanks to the generosity of the Joliet community, events like this are able to provide those winter essentials to the less fortunate residents of Will County.”
Homelessness Outreach Program in Peoria
A new homeless outreach program, Projects for Assistance in Transitioning from Homelessness (PATH) at the South Side Office of Concern, is the first outreach program of its kind in the area.
What are Libraries Doing to Help?
Courtney Young, President of the American Library Association, says that in times of economic hardship, more people turn to and depend on libraries and librarians for help.
Food Desert Gets First Nonprofit Supermarket
Hunger relief comes to Chester, PA, a federally designated “food desert.” The supermarket, Fare & Square, offers free membership and includes, for low income people, a 7% store credit for each time they shop. The supermarket is operated by Philabundance, a nonprofit.