The Enoch Pratt Free Library is partnering with the Maryland Food Bank in the month of January for Food For Fines.
From January 4 to January 31, 2016, donate a canned food item at any Pratt Library location and receive a $1 off any library fine.
There is no limit on the amount of cans that can be donated. For example, five cans = $5 off of your library card fines. Canned goods must be unopened and unexpired to qualify. To participate, just drop the cans off at the Circulation Desk of your local Pratt Library branch.
“We are encouraging our library patrons to help fight hunger in the Baltimore area. This campaign helps our neighbors and helps you reduce your library fines,” said Carla D. Hayden, Chief Executive Officer of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. “The holidays are over but the need is still there. Baltimoreans and Marylanders stand by each other and this campaign is a way to continue the holiday spirit into the New Year.”
In January 2015, the library collected more than 10,700 pounds of food for the Maryland Food Bank feeding more than 7,000 meals.
“The Food for Fines campaign is an inspiring example of how communities can come together to prioritize hunger,” said Deborah Flateman, President/CEO of the Maryland Food Bank. “It’s a win-win for everyone, and it’s a helpful reminder that hunger is a year-round struggle, one that doesn’t end once the holidays are over.”
For more information about the Pratt’s Food for Fines campaign, visit: www.prattlibrary.org.
The Enoch Pratt Free Library, the nation’s first free library system, opened its doors in 1886, the result of the generosity and imagination of businessman and philanthropist Enoch Pratt, who envisioned a public library where “races, ages, and socio-economic classes mingled and people could educate themselves— without cost,” and his passionate belief continues to guide the organization.