Food For Fines: Fine-Amnesty Week Returns January 23
December 30, 2010 — The Springfield-Greene County Library District has again partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest to let people pay off their library fines for one week in January in exchange for donations of non-perishable food to the region’s food bank.
“Food For Fines” week runs during library business hours from Sunday, January 23, through Saturday, January 29, 2011.
During that week, library patrons will receive a 50-cent credit on their overdue-book fine balance for each donated item of non-perishable food in undamaged and unexpired boxes or cans. There’s no limit on the amount of donated food.
Patrons may deliver non-perishable items to the checkout desk at any of the district’s 10 branch libraries or bookmobile during regular business hours. A librarian will apply the credit to a patron’s account.
All food will be donated to Ozarks Food Harvest to restock their shelves after the holidays, when food supplies traditionally are low. The Library's 2010 Food For Fines project netted more than 3 tons of food for Ozarks Food Harvest.
Ozarks Food Harvest-The Food Bank distributes nearly 5 million pounds of food annually to agencies serving poverty stricken children, working poor, families and seniors in 29 southwest Missouri counties, reaching more than 41,000 people every month. In addition to food distribution, Ozarks Food Harvest offers direct relief through its Kids Café, Weekend Backpack Program, Club F.U.N. and Mobile Food Pantry programs.
For more information about Food For Fines, call Kathleen O’Dell, community relations director, at 616-0564.