Imagine having your library late fees paid for while helping out those in need of food. Libraries across Linn County want to help you while helping feed families.
It's for the ‘Food for Fines’ program. It’s a partnership between those libraries and HACAP. People can swing by the Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha libraries with canned food or non-perishable items. Each donation gets a dollar taken off a person's late fees.
The food will go to HACAP's food reservoir. It will then be distributed to the food pantries, soup kitchens, and churches across the county.
Officials from HACAP say they've gotten over 2,400 pounds of food donated through the program in the last month. They say those donations are needed
"Even in this past year we've distributed over 7 million pounds of food in the community,” says Chris Ackman, Communications & Volunteers Manager for HACAP. “Last year was 6 million pounds of food. So every year it just keeps growing by a million pounds of food that we're distributing to food pantries in the area so that kind of shows you how big the need is in the community."
People who don't have book fines can still come donate and pay it forward for someone who does. The ‘Food for Fines’ program runs until November 30.