Food for fines program

St. Charles Parish Libraries to accept food donations to clear fines

In an effort to collect food for the needy of St. Charles Parish, the library locations in St. Charles Parish are holding "Food for Fines" for the month of March. Working in conjunction with the St. Charles Social Concerns Food Bank, starting March 1, patrons can bring non-perishable food items to the library to clear their over due book fines.

"I used to work at a library in Jefferson and this was a program we implemented there and it was successful," said Julie Concienne of the St. Charles Parish West Bank Regional Library. She went on to say, "We contacted the food bank here in St. Charles and they were more than interested in our effort to give something back to the community."

A spokesperson for the St. Charles Social Concerns stated, "We are currently well stocked. But we never know when someone will show up and need food assistance. Some residents need long term assistance and others are in between food stamps and need temporary assistance. The food bank is especially in need of canned fruit, canned milk, cereals, rice and beans, small jars of jelly and small cans of meat."

Fines can be for accrued overdue charges or for overdue items. However, this program cannot be applied to charges for lost items. The library is asking that patrons donate 1 item for each dollar in fines. Food will be collected March 1-31 at all St. Charles Parish Library locations. For more information, call the library at 985-785-8471.