October Close Out

October saw our donation totals rise to $70,000.  And that does not count any of the money that will come as a result of the grocery receipt donations.  Those numbers are being tallied and we hope the total for October will be soon available, but a first look suggests it will be in the area of $2,000 for the New Library Fund.

We also have the totals for Sterling Bank's sponsorship of "Great Change" month.  The exact total of change that the Point Roberts community brought to the bank  (or the outlying sites) and that Jane, Victoria, Heather, Julie, and Sandy sorted and counted amounts to $2,912.69!  In addition, some bags of change arrived a bit after the end of the month and that is still being counted by the fundraising group.  Only yesterday, a couple who had been out of the country and had not managed to get their change collection to the bank beforehand, showed up at my door with 35 pounds of change, half filling a canvas grocery bag.  Counting that will take awhile, but we will add it to your overall achievements for this amazing collection.  The Final final total yet to come, but clearly well over $3,000.  If you still have change or want to continue contributing change, we'll keep counting it: you can leave it in the change jars at the library, the Chevron gas station, and Auntie Pam's Country Store.

On the day before the end of October, we are still short two $500 donors for the $5,000 match gift.  Not too late, yet.  But if we do not receive them, it will be a $4,000 match gift, I'm afraid.  Whatever happens, we all send out our thanks to the eight people/couples who contributed the matching $4,000.  It swells the coffers for this project and helps more and more people to realize that this fundraising job can be achieved, even though it is a lot of money and we are a very small town.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, who counted, who cared.  It takes a community to build a library, and we have that kind of community, it is clear.

Tiny Art Auction: Nov. 17

I am calling your attention right now to a 'Tiny Art Auction' and Party at Auntie Pam's on November 17th because we need to have some more Tiny Art to auction.  About 25 people have said they will produce these small pieces (5"x7") and Pam  has more of the blank canvases if you want to join in the artist presentation side.  The photo below shows five pieces that have already been received.

Join up in the making (any media is acceptable; i'm getting a quilted one done); and/or put the auction and party on your calendar.  November 17, at Auntie Pam's Country Store. All proceeds to benefit the fundraising for the new library.

update from Pam: The time for the art show is 7pm with the auction closing at 8:45 and winners announced at 9pm. We have 35 pieces pledged and 10 already received!

--Judy Ross for The Friends of the Point Roberts Library

Registering Grocery Receipts

Here we are, beginning the second week of gathering up donated grocery receipts from the International Market.  During the first week, at least one volunteer (and sometimes as many as 3 of us) has been at the market during part of each day to explain to customers that we want their grocery receipts, why we want their grocery receipts, and how they can give us their grocery receipts.  My experience of this has been that I have about 12 seconds to get their attention as they move right on by me to the door.  If I can get them to slow down a little in that 12 seconds, I can probably get it explained.

And, because it was a very busy week (pre-Canadian Thanksgiving), there was a very steady flow of customers.  It was not hard to speak to 50 different people/couples/families in an hour.  And the register receipts began to roll in.  Over a thousand of them in the first batch that were gathered up last Friday.

We hope to continue to have at least one person at the market every day this week, too, explaining.  The hope is that after two weeks, enough people will understand it that we won't need to have this extra step.  (If you're inclined to join us in this task, write to me at judyross@outlook.com and we can work out a time slot of an hour or two.)  We've written a Letter to the Editor at the Delta Optimist in the hope that that, too, will help.  The All Point Bulletin's coverage has been great in getting it explained to Point Roberts' residents.  Lots of people say, within a couple of seconds, "Yes, I read about it in the paper."

The checkers at the International Market are doing a wonderful job of helping us by printing all those duplicate receipts that are needed for those who are going directly to the border with their groceries, and by providing information to help customers get the receipts deposited.  If you think of it when you are in the market, thank them.  We continue to be grateful for all the help we are receiving!

And soon, we hope to have the first report on amounts for the first week, as well as totals for last month's Sterling Bank Great Change month.  (If you are still longing to donate change, there's a change jar at Auntie Pam's Country Store, and another one at the Chevron gas station.  But now, the Friends' fundraising committee is going to have to do the counting.)

--Judy Ross, for The Friends of the Point Roberts Library

We Begin Again

Each month or each season brings a new challenge in the fundraising for the library world.  The next two months are the months of Great Thanksgiving(s).  We'll be eating a lot, of course, which is why we are particularly grateful to the International Market for agreeing to give us a percentage of their sales these next two months.  But this will work for the library only if you remember to drop your receipts in the boxes that are located at each of the entrance/exit doors.

Ed and I went there this morning to get posters up and posters attached to the boxes and the boxes arranged and the doorways--they're sitting atop the large trash cans there.  Then, we hung around for awhile to see how it was going to work.  One of the problems, of course, is that a lot of the customers are Canadians who are returning promptly across the border and need their receipts for Canadian customs.  Another problem is that Canadian customers are unlikely to be reading this blog or the All Point Bulletin or Point-Interface or the Friends of the Library's Facebook page, and thus don't know anything about this event, although they may know something about our plans for a new library from this past summer's events.

We've got a good solution to the first problem: If people need their receipts for any reason, ASK THE CHECKER TO GIVE YOU A DUPLICATE.  They're happy to oblige and then you can deposit a receipt and still have a receipt.

The second problem is less easy to solve.  We stayed around for about an hour and talked to people as they were leaving, trying to explain what this project is all about.  People are generous, willing to hear (although many are at first a little hesitant because they think we may be asking for a donation).  But, they are patient, as well, and of the 40 or so people we talked to, virtually all either gave us their receipts for the box or said they would ask for a duplicate next time and deposit that receipt.

We'll be at the market this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, off and on, to help people understand how this works.  And again next week if we need to.  But, it helps if you explain it to your friends, Canadians or U.S., just in case we're not there when they get to the market.

Judy Ross, for The Friends of the Point Roberts Library