Cherokee Lane Elementary School in Adelphi, Maryland, revamped its Little Free Library and Food Pantry using free materials supplied through Community Forklift’s Community Building Blocks program.
Cherokee Lane Elementary was inspired to take on a community project that would provide students and families access to free books and food. “Families tell me to thank you so much for bringing this to our school! They really appreciate it,” says Gesireth Mariscal, Cherokee Lane Elementary School’s Community School Coordinator.
When we asked Gesireth what inspired the school to take on these projects, she explained, “We wanted to encourage students to read and feel excited and motivated when picking up a new book!” She also added that “the food pantry was to help our families have free access to food at all times. This gives families the freedom to pick up whenever they want and not feel embarrassed or ashamed.”
Community Forklift initially provided the materials used to build the Little Free Library in 2020. This past October, parents from the school repaired the library and also built a new, larger pantry. For the renovation, Community Forklift supplied roofing shingles, knobs, and other essential building materials to add the finishing touches to the Little Free Library.
“Thanks to Community Forklift we were able to select some supplies to help with the construction of our library and food pantry. Thank you all for the amazing partnership and work you all do daily in the community!”
Gesireth Mariscal, Cherokee Lane Elementary School’s Community School Coordinator
We are thrilled with the results and so pleased to help Cherokee Lane Elementary School provide this asset to their community! “Thanks to Community Forklift we were able to select some supplies to help with the construction of our library and food pantry,” Gesireth said. “Thank you all for the amazing partnership and work you all do daily in the community!”
Community Forklift’s Community Building Blocks program provides free materials to community groups, nonprofits, and other organizations for projects that benefit the community. Our nonprofit reuse warehouse can provide many different types of materials for projects when those materials become available, including paint, lumber, cabinetry, roofing, hardware, and more. To learn more about the program and how to apply, please visit our website.
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Every time you donate or shop at Community Forklift, you’re helping us lift up local communities through reuse. We turn the construction waste stream into a resource stream for communities in the DC region – by keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill, preserving historical materials, providing low-cost building supplies, and creating local green jobs.
