Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Library fundraiser to buy rice

It's time again for McIntyre Library’s annual holiday giving project, which as in years past is a fundraiser to purchase rice for the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association (HMAA). The current economic crisis, combined with a worldwide rice shortage that has driven the cost of rice up by as much as 50 percent in recent months, makes the need great this year.

The HMAA is a social service agency that serves the local Hmong community in a number of ways. HMAA operates a food pantry and assists in housing, employment and translating services. It works in concert with other area services to assist our Hmong community.
For more than a decade, the McIntyre Library Staff Association has held the annual fundraiser through which voluntary contributions have totaled thousands of dollars. Last year the effort raised $485 to purchase 925 pounds of rice. Many families rely on this service for their basic sustenance.

The project is open to anyone wishing to contribute. Please make checks payable to: McIntyre Library Staff Association, and submit to Dan Hillis, Staff Association Treasurer, 5012 McIntyre Library, by Friday, Dec. 12. Names of contributors will be included on a card accompanying the donation and given to the HMAA. Contributors who wish to remain anonymous should indicate so. Please contact Jill Markgraf (36-5357) with questions.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am currently doing an internship affiliated with UWEC in southeast Asia, and am seeing the truth of the economic situation and rice shortage first hand. Thank you for doing something to help!