The folk tale of Stone Soup was one of the earliest picture books I remember. My takeaway was that when times were tough, people shared what they had tucked away to make a delicious life-saving soup that sustained them all. It started with a stone.
I sometimes think of our community as that village of people who are ready to step forward to make everyone’s life better. We have so many examples in our town from the recent Thanksgiving dinner at the Wentworth School, to the food collection we are hosting at the library and the Project G.R.A.C.E. fuel fund. The help may come from town or school employees, non-profit or service clubs, or citizens who themselves have been helped in the past and are now giving in the modest way they are able to.
Every day our public library helps to make that stone soup possible. We gather citizens regardless of their capacity to make the whole meal. We suggest or help them find the right ingredients (because our professional librarians know where to find the recipe). We offer vision and encouragement and through our programs, the means to communicate with and learn about one another.
At this time of year, we remind you that our library is a non-profit corporation and a portion of our operating budget depends on gifts received through our annual appeal. We can’t run on stones but we do value what they represent in this folk tale. We hope you’ll consider a monetary gift to the Scarborough Public Library and help us to keep our mission, the recipe, alive.
There are many ways to make a gift. You may send a check directly to the Scarborough Public Library, 48 Gorham Rd, Scarborough, 04074 or pick up a remittance envelope at the Library. Consider using the secure donation form or print and mail the Annual Fund form on our website's giving page. The Library is a 501(c)(3) corporation and your gift may be tax deductible.
Thank you for helping us keep the soup warm and our community intellectually nourished.
With thanks,
Nancy E. Crowell
Library Director