When the federal government withheld SNAP benefits last month, HIP took action as part of Seattle’s emergency response and donated hundreds of bags of groceries to our community partners, including the Lake City Library. Many people don’t know that the library’s services far exceed book lending and include a vast array of social services. Librarian Nancy Garrett (pictured on the left) told us the following story about how these donations allowed them to stretch these services even farther.
I just wanted to express my deepest gratitude for the many boxes of packaged snacks for library patrons you all directed to us using the City funds during the federal government shutdown/SNAP benefits cuts. This was an incredibly generous donation — honestly, I can’t express how much this means to our library staff and our library patrons. I’m not exaggerating when I say this brought me to tears.
The library has a budget for packaged snacks when we host youth programs. However, for the many adult community members and unhoused neighbors who come to the library each day and tell us they are hungry, asking if we have anything for them to eat or fresh bottled water, we rely largely on donations from our library patrons and staff, and often run out.
It can be heartbreaking for our staff to turn people away. Our tiny, tirelessly hardworking, and caring Social Services Team at the downtown Central Library has a small budget to send supplies to 27 library branches (which usually lasts at most a month at our location).
Recently, our children’s librarian, Maria, and I stayed after 8 pm closing time at the library. One library patron was experiencing distress after closing time. Another library patron was understandably distraught to discover that their coat and entire belongings — a few bags — had been stolen while they were in the library. Maria and I searched everywhere but were unable to locate their coat and belongings. Again, it was heartbreaking to have to usher both of these patrons out into the dark and cold winter night, as we needed to close the library.
But, because of your donation, we were able to provide them with several packaged snacks and water bottles each as they left the library (we had been completely out of stock before your delivery), as well as donated hats, socks, emergency blankets, and handwarmers provided by our social workers.
That is just one example from recent days. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being such incredible partners and for all that you do to make a difference in our community.
