“Little Libraries” at the Farm

Contributed photos

When you go to a Farmers Market at Lachat Town Farm you can donate new and gently used children’s books and be part of a growing initiative to help children in underserved communities.

It’s called “Little Libraries,” an effort to “help kids live with books, learn to comprehend what they read, and thrive in life,” said Pat Weist, who got the ball rolling at Lachat last year. “Many of the kids who get these books have never owned one before.”

In the short time since the launch of Little Libraries, said Ms. Weist, thousands of donated books have been collected and distributed, all part of a community effort.

The leadership team at Lachat was on board right away, and a drive at the farm’s egg hunt this spring brought in over 1,000 books. “Some people went out and bought new children’s books to donate, which is amazing,” said Ms. Weist.

The spring event was the program’s first big push, and from the start it was clear that logistics would be a challenge, which is where the Kiwanis Club came in. “Kiwanis provided the muscle,” said Ms. Weist. The books were delivered to the nonprofits Books4Everyone and Open Doors for distribution.

The came Weston Intermediate School.

When substitute teacher Betsy Heglund found a flyer Ms. Weist had left in neighborhood mailboxes, she reached out to Principal Jennifer D’Amico, who gave the green light to a collection as schoolbooks are turned over when curriculums change.

This brought in 50 cartons of books, around 2,000 copies. Some went to Darien Book Aid, where distribution includes fulfilling Peace Corps requests to help improve literacy around the world, and some went to the Adam J. Lewis Academy in Bridgeport. All told, Little Libraries now has four distribution outlets.

Little Libraries will feature at all Lachat Farmers Markets, which run from 4:00 to 8:00 on the last Friday of June through September.

Dates ahead are July 31, August 28, and September 25, offering food, local fresh produce, hearth baked breads, local honey, jewelry, soaps, clothing, live music and more.