Lions Club Fruit Sale Nets $33,000 Donation to JPL

By Benjamin Cox on January 13, 2020 at 1:09pm

Pictured left to right: Barb and Larry Whewell, Diane Hollendonner and Jim Barber for the check presentation at the library on January 10th.

A 43-year tradition of donations to the Jacksonville Public Library topped the $33,000 mark this year. The Jacksonville Lions Club donated $33,650 to the library from their annual fruit sale to purchase books for those with vision issues. Outreach Librarian Diane Hollendonner says the donations from the Lions has helped the library grow its collection of large-print books over the last 4 decades.

Hollendonner says she’s a special delivery person for the library, and the majority of her visits involve people who enjoy the large-print editions. “I deliver books Monday through Friday on a regular schedule to all of the local nursing homes, to Cedarhurst and Knollwood assisted living facilities, to some of the senior apartments, and to anyone in their own home – folks who can’t get to the library either because they lack transportation, or are physically handicapped, or they are even temporarily out of commission due to knee surgery or hip surgery and just can’t make it in to the library to get their reading materials.”

Hollendonner says the donation allows her to purchase between 70-80 new, up-to-date large-print titles for the library for those who want to keep up with the best-seller list if they have vision problems or simply can’t get out and purchase or check out new books from the library.

For more information about the outreach program contact Hollendonner at the Library at 243-5435 or by email at outreach201@hotmail.com.