The Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL) is a non-profit public benefit organization of volunteers providing financial contributions to the City of Salinas Library System. FOSPL funds programs and purchases not within the library budget. FOSPL also works to create public awareness of and community support for the library and its literacy programs.
Our BIG IDEA is to foster teen activities including teen talks, service projects, literacy projects and local trips. The teens will promote increase access to literacy, including providing free books for teens and other Salinas residents. Some of that promotion will include restocking Little Libraries established in five Salinas City Public Parks, Little Libraries established by FOSPL with a previous MC GIVES Grant. The program will offer additional community service for High School youth with opportunities formulated by the teens themselves, literacy and other service projects that they create, enhancing their leadership skills. The teens will work on leadership projects and take local trips to widen their worlds.
Our work benefits Monterey County be developing teen leaders and developing access to literacy. We need active and engaged teens! Our work is to be confined to the City of Salinas where there is a great need to develop teen leadership through our program of activities, service learning and literacy.
I volunteered at FOSPL’s Depot to earn service hours for high school. A few volunteers and I continued to volunteer after our required hours were done. The Book Depot was a fun place where we learned how to handle books and make friends.
- Gavin McGowan, Salinas
