It’s Food for Fines Time!

February 1 – 28 is one of the happiest times at the Library: Our customers are happy, our staff is happy and the volunteers at the Zionsville Food Pantry are very happy!

If you haven’t participated in the Library’s previous Food for Fines events, this is the year to discover what makes everyone so cheerful.

During the month of February, customers are invited to erase their overdue fines by presenting non-perishable food items to the Circulation Desk. Each item donated, sample sizes excluded, will erase $1 in overdue fines owed to Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library. This offer only applies to overdue fines currently owed; lost and damaged fees are not eligible. Credit cannot be applied to accounts for future fines, and fines owed to other Evergreen Indiana libraries cannot be erased through this program.

Launched in 1997, this event can’t help but make everyone involved smile. The generosity of Zionsville residents is demonstrated each year, and mounds of food are donated for the needy.

“This (food drive) is perfect because your timing is just right,” said Catherine Coscia with the Zionsville Food Pantry. With numerous drives occurring in the fall and spring, pantry shelves can start getting bare in February when donations drop off. Planning for weeks when school is not in session and need swells is also on the mind of Pantry volunteers. With Spring Break in Zionsville scheduled for the first week of April, requests for assistance will increase, just like it does during the summer when parents must provide all three meals each day.

“We’re very fortunate; we live in a very generous community,” said Coscia. So, she is looking forward to the thousands of items that residents will donate in the coming weeks. Items that will help feed the nearly 600 families who will seek assistance this year.

Needed items include rice, beans, canned meats, cereal, dry or canned milk, peanut butter and pasta. Consideration is also given to families with food allergies, so any items that are gluten free, or do not contain nuts or dairy are also welcome. Please check expiration dates before donating any food items. Click here for a full list of needed items.

For more information about the Zionsville Food Pantry, located at Zionsville Presbyterian Church at 4775 W. 116th St., please email Coordinator Nancy Thompson.

All area residents are invited to drop off donations at the Library, have their overdue fines erased and help the numerous families within our community who need assistance feeding their families!