The Great Give Back

In addition to the growing list of activities to do at the Center Moriches Free Public Library, the team is preparing to host another year of The Great Give Back as well as social worker interns for the fifth year.

The Great Give Back 

Center Moriches Library encourages their staff and patrons to be involved in the community.  The Great Give Back is an excellent opportunity for the local teens to make a difference in someone else’s life. 

The event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. In anticipation of the Great Give Back, on Oct. 21 the library will be making craft kits to donate to LI Lends a Helping Hand. An hour of community service will be given to each teen that participates.

According to the youth service coordinator at the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Derek Ivie, the initiative began as an idea that came to fruition for the first time in 2017. “A few colleagues and myself wanted to create an event in Suffolk County that brought positivity to our communities and showed that libraries are a central hub for giving back and creating good,” he said.

That first year, all of the member libraries in the country participated. The following year, Nassau County came on board and after that, it grew to a statewide initiative. Last year, 299 libraries across New York participated in The Great Give Back! 

According to Jessica Ceramello, head of teen services, Center Moriches has been participating in the Great Give Back since the start. For their first Great Give Back, teens came down to the library and worked on various community service projects.

Then, for their second Great Give Back, teens met at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck and helped them get ready for their annual Spooky Walk. 

“Each year since 2017, we have provided teens in our community a variety of community service opportunities for the Great Give Back, ranging from handknitting scarves for our annual Mitten Tree, to making dog toys for shelter animals,” she said.

This year the library will be making craft kits to donate to LI Lends a Helping Hand. 

“We think it is important for our library to participate in the Great Give Back because it gives teens an opportunity to participate in their community and feel a sense of pride in what they accomplish,” she added.

For more information visit: 

https://thegreatgiveback.org/index.php/list-view/.

Social Work Intern

The library will welcome a brand-new set of social work interns, Natasha and Sean.

The social work interns can help assist with emergency shelter, family matters, food assistance, and other related services. This service is not for counseling services. To schedule an appointment, please call the reference desk at 631-878-0940 ext. 5. There is no fee to use this service. All are welcome and all information is confidential.

Appointments are available mid-September on Tuesdays between the hours of 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.