WE’RE OFF TO A GOOD START!

About 20 Whitesburg citizens and friends attended the presentation of the library project to the Carroll County Commissioners on September 16. The commissioners voted to support the library concept and have provided us with a declaration we can use when applying for grants. We are very appreciative of the legislators and public administrators who wrote letters of support to the commissioners: Senator Bill Hamrick, Representative Mark Butler, Representative Chuck Harper, Representative Lynn Smith and James P. Cooper, Director of the West Georgia Regional Library. We would also like to give special thanks to Mrs. Roni Tewksbury, who attended the presentation on behalf of the Regional Library System.

Due to the construction of the new parking lot at the school, our fundraising “thermometer” is down for a while. It’s being repaired and updated, and will be returned to its location soon. It’s not too late to have your donation included in the updated level!

FUND RAISING IS MOVING ALONG!

The yard sale announced in the last newsletter was an unqualified success! The initial goal of $300 was met by 10 am; we went on to earn $816 by 2 pm. Many people from the school and community helped in organizing and carrying out that event – thank you! At the suggestion of Sheila Ring, accounts in the name of the Friends of the Whitesburg Library have been set up at Dee’s Consignment Shop in Whitesburg, and at the Wear Me Again consignment shop in Carrollton. Any of us can now take donations to these shops, where sales will be accumulated for the library.

A letter of request for contributions was mailed to about 250 Whitesburg area citizens and friends. So far, individuals and groups have generously responded with donations totaling more than $7,000! The gifts range from $25 to $1,000, with a number made in tribute to loved ones. Many, many thanks to Bobby and Janez Argo, Charles Beard, Bill and Margery Bouris, Joyce Carnes, John and Rae Furcha, Rulon Johnson, George and Edna Key, Wilson and Myra Knott, Quinton Miles, Sherryl Miles, Ken O’Neill, Deborah Powell, Peggy and Bo Rowland, Ben and Judy Skipper, Tracy Stallings, Milford Taylor, Pat Taylor, Glyn Thomas, Tom and Patsy Upchurch, Lawrence Vines, Don and Jewell Wells, Chad Zeis, Bucks Electrics, The Rural Library Project, and West Georgia Turf.

An initial grant application has been submitted to the Carroll Electric Membership Foundation. A volunteer grant-writing committee is forming now to actively pursue other grant opportunities.

Employer Matching Contributions: You may be able to double or triple the impact of your individual gift to the library project if your employer has a matching contribution program. Please check with your human resources department for more information.

THE NEXT STEPS

As noted above, the grant-writing committee is gearing up. If you can lend expertise, writing skills, or timely labor to this major activity, please call Whitesburg City Hall (at 770-832-1184 and leave a message for Tim or Beverly Dillard.

A new mail solicitation is being mailed to individuals and businesses reminding them of the opportunity to make tax-deductible contributions in 2003. We need on-going help with this – checking addresses, stuffing envelopes etc. To help please call Whitesburg City Hall (at 770-832-1184 and leave a message for Margery Bouris.

Books are being donated to the library! Debbie Eidson has volunteered to sort which books we should keep for the library collection and which can be sold to benefit the library. If you have books to contribute, call Margery Bouris. So far, we don’t have the human or truck power to pick up books, but they can be delivered to City Hall by appointment. If you are willing to volunteer a truck and labor, we have some people who have requested pick-up.

The “Hook-a-Book” Book Sale is now planned for January. Please call Beverly Dillard to help organize and staff this fund-raiser.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

This project needs your participation! You can

· make a donation ~~We need help from anyone interested in joining in – to~~

· ~~write letters,~~ to ~~call or visit~~ contact potential donors,

· to ~~write grants~~, assist ~~to help~~ with fund-raisers

· attend public meetings

· help with grant-writing

· pick up donated books - and more!.

To become involved, please check the appropriate box on the donor card accompanying this mailing, or call Whitesburg City Hall (at 770-832-1184).