<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2bz5X7_0vludp8d00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2bz5X7_0vludp8d00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Pinewoods Library &amp; Learning Center Branch Manager Evelyn Rushing poses for a portrait at Pinewoods Library in Athens, Georgia on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. The library serves as a resource and a community gathering space for Athens’ Hispanic community. (Photo/Navya Shukla) Navya Shukla</figcaption></figure>Last year, a small local library was on the verge of closing. Now, one year and over 75 organized events later, that same library is fostering a community in Athens.Located in the heart of the Pinewoods mobile home community, the Pinewoods Library &amp; Learning Center provides a wide range of resources and services, from language and art classes to community events. Many of these services are tailored to Athens’ Hispanic community, the primary demographic of the Pinewoods neighborhood.Evelyn Rushing, the branch manager for Pinewoods Library, said that the purpose of the library is to facilitate learning and “create a safe place” for its patrons.“That’s what they need,” Rushing said. “They need this to feel comfortable and connected.”Open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m on Mondays through Thursdays, Pinewoods Library offers weekly tutoring and English as a second language classes for grades K-12, along with bilingual readings, safety training and arts and crafts activities.The library also provides weekly English classes for adults, as well as safety, parenting and wellbeing trainings for families and computer classes. Library volunteers are available to assist in translating and filling out government forms — all free of charge.A large emphasis of the library is building bilingual literacy and confidence. The shelves are lined with English and Spanish versions of books and movies, and the Facebook page advertises in both languages.“In our language, we can say anything, but sometimes, people that arrive in different countries, they feel mute,” Rushing said. “They have a lot to say, but they don’t know how to express it.”Because of restraints like language barriers and lack of transportation, Rushing also said that members of the Pinewoods community are often unable to access valuable but farther-away resources, which is why she hopes the library will bridge that gap.“If they cannot go, I’ll bring them here,” Rushing said.While also working with Hispanic community-serving nonprofits like U-Lead Athens and Casa De Amistad, the library invites organizations like the Department of Public Health to provide free vaccinations, counseling and health and safety supplies.These numerous partnerships culminate in events like “Empower Pinewoods” and a “Fall Resource Festival,” where Rushing will gather organizations and representatives from the Athens-Clarke County government and sheriff’s office to help attendees make as many connections as possible.Sofia Delgado, the community outreach coordinator from the ACC District Attorney’s Office for Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties, has worked extensively with the Pinewoods community. Delgado said Pinewoods Library’s “spirit of help” stands out to her. By introducing resources like the sheriff’s office, who members of the Pinewood community may have previously been hesitant to approach, the library tries to “open the doors of communication.”“It’s beautiful to see that we were able to create a community that trusts us enough to ask questions and to approach us, and that’s a lot,” Delgado said.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Planting the seeds: Pinewoods Library connects Hispanic community in Athens

Last year, a small local library was on the verge of closing. Now, one year and over 75 organized events later, that same library is fostering a community in Athens. Located in the heart of the Pinewoods mobile home community, the Pinewoods Library & Learning Center provides a wide range of resources and services, from language and art classes to community events. Many of these services are tailored to Athens’ Hispanic community, the primary demographic of the Pinewoods neighborhood.