JWC Partners with Fairfield Library

FAIRFIELD, CONN. – After months of consideration, the Junior Women’s Club (JWC) of Fairfield selected The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library as its charitable partner for the 2018-2019 year. A non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the partnership between the Fairfield Public Library and the community, The Friends advocate for quality library services for all the people in the Town of Fairfield. The JWC of Fairfield’s CARE Committee, chaired by Cheryl Eustace and Diane Stocker, researched and interviewed several outstanding organizations in Fairfield and the surrounding local communities. There were many worthwhile candidates but The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library stood out as a great fit for the Club’s desire to find hands-on service opportunities that help to enrich the Fairfield community.  

Founded in 2003, The Friends support library programs, promote community awareness of the Fairfield Public Library, advocate for town funding and provide supplemental financial support for programming and services. Over the past fourteen years, The Friends have provided over $300,000 to the library to support special programs, services and resources not included in the operating budget, including a commitment to fund the library’s museum pass program that provides library card holders the opportunity to experience many wonderful museums in and beyond Fairfield County at a significant discount or for free. 

The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library were present at The Junior Women’s Club monthly general membership meeting on May 16th, held at Osborne Hill School, to share details of their organization with current and prospective members of the JWC. Attendees had the opportunity to hear about the organization from Director of Development, Danielle Sharp.  Ms. Sharp outlined the extraordinary number of ways the JWC of Fairfield can help support The Friends efforts, inclusive of providing hands-on assistance of key events such as book sales, the Spring family-friendly Mini-Golf event, and the newly added Fairfield Food Truck Festival which saw over 4,000 attendees in its inaugural year in 2017.

Most notably, the money raised throughout the year by the JWC of Fairfield, funded primarily through the annual “A Visit to Santa’s House”, would be used by The Friends to help reinstate the Fairfield Public Library’s One Book One Town (OBOT) Program in 2019, a beloved town program that has been in place for 10 years.  The program is focused on a book chosen by the OBOT Committee after an exhaustive selection process, combined with programs and discussions planned with the selected book in mind. The entire Town of Fairfield is encouraged to read the book and join in and participate in the programs and discussions, including a special event with the book’s author, that has traditionally been held at Fairfield University’s Quick Center.   

Unfortunately, with Library staff shortages and budgetary cuts, The OBOT Committee was unable to plan for the event in 2018.  The Friends are hopeful that with financial support from The Junior Women’s Club, The Fairfield Public Library will be able to reinstate the One Book One Town program in 2019.   “We are so grateful to be partnering with the Junior Women’s Club for the upcoming year, not only for the hands-on assistance from JWC members, but also in collaboration to raise funds for OBOT 2019,” says Ms. Sharp. “When two local organizations work together to support a beloved town program…that’s the true meaning of community.”

Open to women in Fairfield and surrounding towns, the JWC is a non-profit service organization that gives members the chance to make new friends while giving back to the greater community through social and personal enrichment programs, fundraisers, and local events. To learn more about the club, please visit www.jwcfairfield.com .