Dear Friend,

When I stood up to speak at the gala in September, I was struck by how lucky we are to be part of a community of doers—people who activate, who band together for a cause, who show up to volunteer their energy and expertise on the many boards of the many nonprofits and elected councils of this engaged town. What wonderful role models we have for the kids who grow up here! In thinking about how we at the Foundation can dig deeper roots, I realized that we are well positioned to grow leaders from the ground up.

As many of you already know, I was proud to launch the Roots Leadership Program this year with my friend and fellow board member Michelle Salzman. In harnessing the energy of young people, we are planting seeds that will grow and spread. It was such a joy to have our first Roots Executive Team join at this year’s gala, where they were able to see up close what participation looks like when it’s done right. Our honorees, Pam and John O’Connell, represent the best parts of Port and our library community, and we are so grateful for their continued leadership.

At the Foundation we understand that the resources and physical infrastructure we provide are what keep hearts and minds open, while it is your ongoing support that keeps our doors wide open to the hustle and bustle of this busy, beautiful place. As the weather changes, and with the world in great flux, we hope to remind you of the many good things you have helped us build this year.

We continue to fund and support programs that help everyone in this community grow and thrive: the five Advisory Councils-- Children’s, Art, Music, Health, and Nautical; Homegrown Readers—one-on-one home visits by trained staff to encourage early literacy for low income families; Books for Dessert and now Theater for Dessert, which are the book and theater clubs that provide a creative place to improve social and literacy skills for adults with intellectual disabilities; and, of course, our dynamic Jobs and Career Center, including the Job Search Boot Camp that has helped so many Port residents work toward their career dreams. Next up will be our capital campaign to fund a state-of-the-art re-imagining of our Maker Space.

Thank you for modeling participation to our emerging leaders and for always giving so generously to our Foundation so that we may all continue to serve our beloved library community. Please contribute and collaborate with us again this year as we dig deeper, denser roots.

Very truly yours,

Beth Ain, President

November 2024