Christmas Luncheon

At Red Bridge, there are two volunteers that come in every Tuesday to help shelve our children's books.  I have only been at the branch for less than a month and had previously only seen them in passing.  Today, I was invited to a Christmas Luncheon at Center High School.  I had no idea what to expect, besides free food.  What I gained was so much more than free food.

Our two volunteers are part of a School-to-Work transition program.  From the ages of 18 to 21, they learn life skills so that they may go out into the world and provide for themselves.  These young adults typically have mental or physical conditions that make it harder for them to process things and be self-sufficient.  However, that doesn't mean that they can't attain that.  Far from it, these two volunteers invited us to this luncheon.  They prepared the menu, shopped for all of the ingredients, fixed the food, and served it to us.  Then, they provided us with good company as we ate.  I never had a chance to talk to these two before today, and seeing the kinds of things that they can do now, in part because of the library, really touched me.  Not only do they volunteer at Red Bridge, but they also volunteer at a not-for-profit dance studio where they organize materials and even measure fabric for adjustments and mending.  They also love playing with the dog there.

I went to the library many times as a kid, and I always loved reading the Goosebumps books there.  When I got to high school, that all changed and I hardly ever went to the library.  It wasn't until I started working in Blue Springs that I realized how infinitely important libraries are.  Libraries are not just about books.  The services that they provide are invaluable.  These aren't even the most telling stories of the importance of libraries.  The most telling stories are the ones like Josh and Sarah.  These guys have lived through adversity and are poised to make it through the world knowing that they can do what they set their minds to.  They are applying for jobs, and are also applying for the THRIVE program at UCM, designed to help them the extra steps of the way and offering them a certificate of life skills that will help them in the workforce.

I fell in love with libraries 3 years ago, and days like today make me proud that I can be a part of something like this, and a part of people's lives.  As we were getting ready to leave, Sarah gave me a hug.  I had only met her today, but she came to me with arms outstretched, just as the library did with her.  Hug a librarian this week, just to thank them for the things that they do, even if it's not overt.