Buchanan

Check this out!  The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library, in the Southwest corner of Virginia, are awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention category!  Each year, groups are invited to apply for a Green Grant in the category that best fits their goal for projects and programs that are needed in their community.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and thirty awards are announced, one each day in June.

Although Keep Virginia Beautiful has awarded 415 programs and projects throughout the state since 2011, this is the first Green Grant award that has gone to a group located in Buchanan County — another reason to celebrate!

The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library is a group of library volunteers and supporters who sponsor author visits and book signings, assist with projects such as landscaping the library, serve as program volunteers, and raise funds for the library. In addition, the Friends organization partners with other nonprofits and government organizations to support community improvement projects.

The Friends partnered with the Keep Buchanan County Beautiful Committee last year to present the One Bag Challenge, which encouraged citizens in the county to pick up at least one bag of litter. This challenge was very successful, and citizens of all ages participated. Those picking up litter were encouraged to submit photos to the Buchanan County Public Library’s Facebook page, which helped to bring attention to the project.  They look forward to repeating the successful results again this year.

Funds from the Green Grants award will be used to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, and gloves, to provide volunteers with the tools they need to safely clean up.  The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library will be able to loan the supplies to people for the One Bag Challenge and other cleanups — and no one is better at loaning items to citizens than libraries!