During this time of year, the word generosity often can be heard in news stories, general conversations, and fundraising campaigns. So what does it mean? Cambridge Dictionary defines it as the quality or condition of being generous.

How does one live generously? It can be as simple as giving your time and attention, or as tangible as donating money or material goods.

• Volunteer: Look for volunteer opportunities in your local community.
• Have Fun: Find joy in the act of giving and recognize that you are making a positive difference in the lives of others.
• It can be as simple as sharing what you have; it might be wealth, volunteering your time, or as simple as a smile or a hug.

A generous person does not give indiscriminately but seeks to give in a good and fine way. This, in turn, requires giving to the right people, in the right amounts, at the right time, and with pleasure.

The Friends of the Library have seen how our community continue to live generously. This community stepped up in a big way to support the renovation project for the library. The Friends have seen an increase in volunteers coming to our organization to volunteer at the Library since the completion of the renovation project. If you didn’t know, the Friends offer numerous opportunities to live generously by donating your time.

Interested in finding out more about volunteering with the Friends of the Library, learn how here.

We also offer several ways the community can support the Library and Friends Literacy Programs – Give a Kid a Book and Books for Babies. Each year the Friends give a sizable donation back to the library to help support programs and services not funded by the library’s operational budget. We also self-fund two wonderful literacy programs that distribute thousands of books out into the community each year. If you would like to live generously by supporting the Friends of the Library visit our website. There you can become a member, or donate directly to either Give a Kid a Book or Books for Babies.

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.”