Library
The Shoulder to Shoulder library program began in 2007 with some 75 donated books and craft supplies housed in a small corner of a storage wing of the Santa Lucia clinic. Its purpose was to provide a safe place for after-school play and creative learning that children from the area would not otherwise have access to.
Children flocked to this small library space from day one for the opportunity to read a book alone – something that they are unable to do in area schools due to a limited supply of reading materials; in most cases, teachers must keep the only copy of a book and read it to the class, who are prohibited from ever touching it.
In time, the library was expanded – physically and program-wise – to include an exercise class, English lessons, movie night, and a book club for young adults. The library quickly outgrew its original space and a fundraising effort was launched to build a larger, separate facility on the Santa Lucia clinic grounds.
In March of 2009, the doors of a brand-new, 1800 sq. ft. library – the first and only of its kind in the area – were officially opened to the public. The new space includes storage closets, bathrooms, a computer lab with internet access, crafts, games, toys and of course, books. Under the direction of a full-time librarian, story hour, geography club, young adult reading club, and a life skills course for scholarship students are now offered weekly; computers are available for research and school projects and books can be checked out and taken home for up to a week. As a community center, the library has housed meetings, training seminars, workshops, and celebrations.
From humble beginnings, the Santa Lucia library has grown in a short time into a dynamic community center and an integral part of our mission to provide educational tools, engaging community outreach, and unique opportunities for creativity, expression and learning in a safe and enriching environment.
How You Can Help
We need more books in Spanish. The library currently has 200+ books with a wish list for books posted on Amazon.
Click here to go to Amazon to donate a book.
For more information about the library or how to donate books or supplies, please email Mo Jennings at mjennings@shouldertoshoulder.org.
