Girl Scout Troop 447 in Naples wanted to do something special for the community. The girls brainstormed ideas, trying to find something that would not only help others but also last a long time. Finally, they decided to create a Little Free Library at the new Big Corkscrew Regional Park.
“Books take you places and motivate you in life,” said Evelyn Gomez, 11. “So why not bring it to the new park so people can experience that joy and the magic of books?”
“A library [lets] everyone exchange books and it is for everyone to enjoy,” added Kylie Bandus, 11.
The girls used some of the money they raised from selling Girl Scout cookies to purchase a library kit and then worked together to build the structure.
“It is helpful for the community,” said Ava Smith-Landwehr, 11. “It was our idea that we made as a group.”
The girls also scoured their homes to collect books to fill the Little Free Library. They brought over 40 children’s books, from picture books to easy chapter books to novels. They also made bookmarks.
Julie Gomez, leader of Troop 447, is proud of the girl’s hard work on this project.
“This is for their Bronze Award and they needed something that will have a lasting impact on the community,” Gomez explained. “This park is local to a lot of the girls. It is so fabulous.”
There are 13 girls in the troop who worked on the project.
“I thought it would be a fun project because if you like to read a lot, you can get a book from the library and then bring it back,” said Miriam Mario, 11.
There are Little Free Libraries all over Southwest Florida in gated communities, local neighborhoods, and parks. The idea is for people to take a book and/or leave a book for others to enjoy. There are 175,000 Little Free Libraries in 121 countries worldwide, sharing more than 400 million books.Visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.
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