Turning Pages Together: Restocking Penfield’s Lending Library

At Penfield Children’s Center, we believe that access to books can open doors, spark imagination, and support early learning both in the classroom and at home. That’s why our Lending Library is such a meaningful resource for the families we serve—and thanks to our incredible community, its shelves are full once again.

We’re so grateful to the dedicated supporters who recently showed up in a big way to help restock our library.

The Laughlin family made an extraordinary contribution, donating more than eight bins of books. By organizing a collection through their school library, they inspired a tremendous response and gathered a wide variety of titles. Their donation included not only children’s books for our classrooms, but also options for older siblings—helping extend the joy of reading to the whole family.

Beyond their generous donation, the Laughlin family also spent time in our classrooms reading with the children—bringing the stories to life and creating special, memorable moments. Their presence was a wonderful reminder that supporting early literacy goes beyond books on a shelf—it’s about connection, engagement, and sharing the joy of reading together.

We also extend a heartfelt thank you to the Women in Banking group for their generous book drive. Led by Terri Wright, a member of our Auction Committee, the group spent the month of February collecting books and delivered their donations on March 4. Their efforts brought in a wonderful selection of stories that will be shared and loved by many families.

Because of supporters like these, our Lending Library continues to be a place where families can access free books, discover new favorites, and begin building libraries of their own at home. These small but powerful moments—reading together, turning pages, sharing stories—make a lasting impact on a child’s development.

Interested in hosting a book drive of your own? We’d love to partner with you to keep the momentum going and continue putting books into the hands of families who need them most. Explore all ways to volunteer at Penfield.