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Date: 4/20/2022
WILBRAHAM – Would you be willing to give the shirt off your back to help the library? Wilbraham Friends of the Library are hoping you can donate old shirts, pants as well as other clothes and textiles to help with their latest fundraiser.
The Friends hosted a similar drive last year and collected more than two tons of clothes and textiles, like blankets, towels and drapes. The group’s president hopes to collect that and more this year.
“You get to empty out your closets and spare rooms of clothing and other textiles. You get it all out of your house. It doesn’t end up in a landfill polluting the world. It gets recycled. Textiles and clothing are really one of the big, big polluters,” said Mary Bandouveres, who heads the Friends.
Clothes and textiles should be dropped off at the Library on May 14 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and on May 15 from 12 – 5 p.m. The library is located at 25 Crane Park Dr.
Once the Friends collect the textiles and clothing, they bring everything to Savers in West Springfield. The business pays the Friends for it and then resells it at a deep discount in its thrift store.
The Friends use that money to pay for an array of items and activities at the library including the summer reading program, musical events, books, book clubs, museum passes, art courses, equipment and many other items the library can’t afford with its limited budget.
The Friends survive on fundraisers and donations to raise money for the library – but not everyone can afford to give cash to the group. This clothing drive offers those people a chance to chip in.
“If your budget is tight and for whatever reason and you can’t help out financially, this is a great way to help because we can turn it into money for programs,” said Bandouvres.
The Friends have committed to raising $20,000 a year for the library. This clothing and textile drive helps them reach that goal. Bandouvres said many people falsely believe their tax dollars support the library. She said the town only pays for the library building and the staff to run it. Donations support everything else, and she’s trying to get the word out at events like the clothing drive.
“Things like this give us an opportunity to meet people as they drop things off. We give them a flyer and explain what we do. People do think their tax dollars pay for everything at the library and a lot of people don’t understand the great things we have at the library are paid for through donations or fundraising,” she said.
For more information about the clothing drive or the Friends in general, visit www.facebook.com/WilbrahamFriends or www.wilbrahamlibrary.org.