Gimme Five for Fines
Donation protected
The package:
On Monday, November 27, 2017, the staff at Meridian Library District found a heartwarming surprise in our mailbox. Someone had spotted one of our children’s books where it had been forgotten on an airplane and called to let us know about the missing item.
Although they lived in a different state, they were determined to get the book back to its home.
As the holidays approached they weren’t able to send the book back as soon as they had planned, so in hopes of alleviating any fines accrued on the item, they included a $5.00 bill to cover the cost.
The Inspiration:
At the library, we see kindness from our patrons every single day.
However, this extra effort not only to return an item but also to help out a complete stranger with their fines, won us over. What a perfect opportunity to pay it forward.
Calling the young patron who lost the book and letting them know that not only had someone returned it, but they also paid for their fines, has been a highlight of our year.
The Plan:
We’ve all been the beneficiary of an act of kindness. The car in front of us pays for our coffee, or a complete stranger picks up our bill. The element of surprise compounds the spirit of generosity, and it leaves that much more of an impression.
We want to create this surprise and delight for as many of our patrons as possible with your help through our Gimme Five for Fines campaign.
Imagine this: you give a small donation, as little as $5.00, and we notify randomly selected library patrons that their fines have been paid off by a generous stranger. Your kind gesture will help eliminate the barriers for someone to access the library, yes, but the spirit of the gift is what will really resonate.
Let’s create a new type of paying it forward. Let’s create a chain of giving that benefits the creative, the resilient, the compassionate, and the curious among us - our library users - who could use a hand, or a high five, this holiday season.
Help us spread unexpected kindness by giving us Five for Fines.
On Monday, November 27, 2017, the staff at Meridian Library District found a heartwarming surprise in our mailbox. Someone had spotted one of our children’s books where it had been forgotten on an airplane and called to let us know about the missing item.
Although they lived in a different state, they were determined to get the book back to its home.
As the holidays approached they weren’t able to send the book back as soon as they had planned, so in hopes of alleviating any fines accrued on the item, they included a $5.00 bill to cover the cost.
The Inspiration:
At the library, we see kindness from our patrons every single day.
However, this extra effort not only to return an item but also to help out a complete stranger with their fines, won us over. What a perfect opportunity to pay it forward.
Calling the young patron who lost the book and letting them know that not only had someone returned it, but they also paid for their fines, has been a highlight of our year.
The Plan:
We’ve all been the beneficiary of an act of kindness. The car in front of us pays for our coffee, or a complete stranger picks up our bill. The element of surprise compounds the spirit of generosity, and it leaves that much more of an impression.
We want to create this surprise and delight for as many of our patrons as possible with your help through our Gimme Five for Fines campaign.
Imagine this: you give a small donation, as little as $5.00, and we notify randomly selected library patrons that their fines have been paid off by a generous stranger. Your kind gesture will help eliminate the barriers for someone to access the library, yes, but the spirit of the gift is what will really resonate.
Let’s create a new type of paying it forward. Let’s create a chain of giving that benefits the creative, the resilient, the compassionate, and the curious among us - our library users - who could use a hand, or a high five, this holiday season.
Help us spread unexpected kindness by giving us Five for Fines.
Organizer
Meridian Library
Organizer
Meridian, ID
