Community lends a hand to Belle Vernon Public Library

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

The Belle Vernon Public Library recently received much-needed support from two community organizations.

The North Belle Vernon Rec Commission, represented by Lynn Sokol and Pam Ambrose, teamed up with the Belle Vernon Hungarian Club, represented by Jeff Antal, Christopher Christner, Bob Kinik and others to donate $1,000 to the library.

A collaborative golf outing fundraiser held by the groups over the summer raised more than $12,000 for their respective projects and missions, and leaders of the organizations decided to give back to the community.

Each group donated $500 to the library because fundraisers that help keep the doors open each year had to be canceled due to COVID-19.

Director Elina Filander said the library has tried to maintain a sense of normalcy for residents throughout the pandemic, including increased broadband capability to allow residents to use library services from their homes to stay safe.

“We are very grateful for such a generous donation,” Filander said. “Almost all of our annual fundraisers couldn’t happen because of the virus.”

As a surge in cases continues in Westmoreland County, Filander said the library is already worried about planned events for next year. 

“State funding, which is not the be all end all for libraries, was only passed for 5/12 of funding next year,” she said. “That is terrifying to us because we don’t know if we will be able to have our fundraisers or events to help get us through.”

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