Stories of Impact

Your donation bridges gaps, enriches lives, and empowers our community.

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A man smiles holding his new library card at the Opportunity Center shelter.

Kindness Can Be Such an Antidote

Imagine the challenges you might face each day without a place to call home. Barriers to employment, hygiene, safety, nutrition, and more.

Now, imagine the comfort of getting lost in a story…gaining skills from an excellent how-to… healing with a self-help workbook….

Read how your library reaches out to neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Community Based Hiring mentors and new hires stand together wearing their Hennepin County Library lanyards.

Building Libraries That Reflect Neighborhoods

“I would like to see our workforce look more like our residents. People should be able to come in and feel like they see themselves." Read how Community Based Hiring Pathways creates a more inclusive workforce at Hennepin County Library.

Launching careers
Eden Prairie Library Lead Tutor works with a student at Homework Help program

Homework Help

How do you help a person see and believe in their capabilities? What does it take to build relationships that engage and empower? Ask Homework Help tutors! These caring adults not only help boost student grades, understanding, and confidence, but forge partnerships that have a lasting impact. Read about neighborhood tutors offering wisdom, patience, and life-changing lessons at the library.

Nancy with her latest library books. Behind her is a photograph of her three smiling sons.

A Cup of Tea with Nancy, Who Reads a Book Every Day

From childhood to age 93, and all around the country, voracious reader Nancy has leaned on books for companionship, adventure, and community building. Now finding herself often at home, she relies on At Home Service to fuel her lofty reading habits (one book per day!) and transport herself to different worlds. Meet the person with a lifetime of literary memories to share!

New Connections
Curios cat with reading glasses

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