Food for Fines surpasses goal

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore Municipal Library’s Food for Fines program, which ran in September, collected 744 food items for the Wheatland County Food Bank, along with waiving $808.90 in library fines.
This surpassed a previously set goal of collecting 500 food items for September.
Carmen Erison, assistant director of library services, said this year was a little bit different because the library ran the Food for Fines event twice instead of the usual once per year.
“This year, given the way the economy was, we wanted to run it twice to help out as many people as we can,” said Erison.
The library also held the program last March and collected 1,418 food items in total for the year, and waived a total of $1,627.80 in fines.
“I would say it has been a very successful year for Food for Fines,” said Erison. “I’m very happy with it.”
This year’s Food for Fines program has been recorded as the largest one to date, since it was the first time the library held the program in two separate months over the course of the year. Prior to this year, the library saw the highest participation in the second year it held the program, but there has been a decrease in participation in recent years. During the second year of the program, the library collected approximately 1,400 items in one month.
“We have steadily seen it decrease a little bit over the years, but I’m very pleased to see people have really pitched in and helped bring the food back to people who need it,” said Erison.
Now in its fifth year, the program provides a two-fold service in helping contribute food to the Wheatland County Food Bank for those in need within the community, and aiding in waiving patrons’ library fines.
“It benefits people in need who can really use the food at the food bank,” said Erison.
The library originally started its Food for Fines program in the month of October but moved it to the month of April after talking to a number of food organizations that were running their food campaigns in the fall right before Christmas.
During this time, these organizations typically “get flooded quite a bit with items,” said Erison, who added the library decided to move its program to the month of April instead of October because, “they tend to see people not donate as much after Christmas.”
Going forward, Erison said the Strathmore Library will look at the environment to determine whether or not to hold the Food for Fines event once or twice next year.
“It depends on what state the province is in and where we’re seeing things,” she said.
According to Erison, more and more people have been coming into the library given the fact that “people are struggling out there.”
She credits the library with providing very low priced entertainment.