Case Farms rides to the rescue of Winesburg Library

Raising money is never an easy job. Raising it during struggling economic times is even harder.

For one local library branch, the task of raising $25,000 for operational purposes got a lot easier last week, when the Winesburg Library received a $10,000 donation from Case Farms of Ohio. The gift took the fundraising efforts of the library from $7,000 to $17,000, and made the light at the end of the tunnel — each library branch was asked to raise $25,000 by June 1 or risk being shut down — look a little brighter for the library.

Joann Mattison, whose husband worked for Case Farms, is on the Winesburg Library fundraising committee, and when she set about asking Case Farms for support, she figured they would give something, but wasn’t expecting the bountiful gift that Case Farms sent the library’s way. When Mattison contacted the Case Farms human resource department, they asked if she could send all of the vital statistics on the library, including their annual numbers and what kind of financial state the library was currently in.

What came back was a response which nearly floored the entire library fundraising committee.

According to Cathy Compan, Winesburg branch librarian, Case Farms has always been there for the library in the past, but never did she expect such a magnanimous donation. “Case Farms has always supported us, and they have been so generous in the past,” said Compan. “They’ve supported our summer reading programs, by donating leftover toys from their company picnic. But this donation, this one was above and beyond anything we ever dreamed would happen.” In addition, Case Farms has also provided chicken wing parties and food on numerous occasions for library functions. Because of Case Farms’ donations in the past, the library has been able to offer children luau picnics and a beach party.

Chuck McDaniel, Case Farms vice president, came to the library April 22 to meet with Compan, Mattison and Carol Kahlberg, the fundraiser committee chair.

McDaniel said that when they learned about the plight of the library, they wanted to do what they could to help support something that they feel very strongly about.

“We could tell that the library was in desperate need, and we felt that it was facing a very daunting task in raising the money in a smaller community,” said McDaniel. “We knew we wanted to do something that was significant, because we firmly believe that the library here in Winesburg is an important part of our community. As a company, we absolutely think that it is necessary to be good neighbors with the people who live and work around us.”

Should the fundraising committee come up with the additional $8,000, it will be enough to continue operations through the end of the year. What happens after that depends largely on the fate of the upcoming May election, when the Holmes County District Public Library puts a levy on the ballot for a third attempt. Winesburg is in the same boat as Berlin, Walnut Creek and Killbuck in having to raise its own funding, and should the levy fail, it is not likely that each community will be able to have the wherewithal to go through such a monumental fundraiser again. The levy would require those who own property to pay $25 annually on a $100,000 home.

“I don’t think that people are aware of how dire this is for the library,” said Compan, who has seen staff cuts, hours reduced and materials pared way back because of the lack of funding from the state level.

Kahlberg said that she was at the point where she would lay awake at night wondering what they could do as a fundraising team to make the allotted goal. While not there yet, they are much closer than they were a few days ago.

“When we tell people that Case Farms donated that much, they all have the same response: Wow, why would they do that,” said Kahlberg. “This is such an incredible blessing for us. But Case Farms has always been so good to the library, and I think that they see the incredible value having a local library in the community means to us here in Winesburg. We have a lot of Amish families and home school families who use this branch, and it is the most widely used branch in the county.”

“We just want to do what is right for our community, and be good stewards with our finances,” said McDaniel.

The next fundraiser for the committee will be Friday, April 30, from 5-8 p.m., when they present a baked potato bar and ice cream sundae evening, along with a silent auction, at the Winesburg School. And again, a local business is coming through in a huge way. Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen will provide all of the food for the event, meaning that all of the proceeds can go directly toward the library fund.