No one was making use of her lending library, so she decided to lend a hand instead.
The small, cheerful looking box that sits in front of Lynn Valley resident Tamara Weymark’s property on Lawrence Place usually houses books that passersby are encouraged to peruse and take home with them, with the assumption being that they’ll leave behind a different book for some other stranger to pick up in return.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has, at least for the time being, put a stop to this generally joyous and neighbourly interaction, explains Weymark.
“My library box hasn’t been touched in weeks now,” she says.
But recently Weymark had an idea. With people encouraged to practice social distancing and, if they can, self-isolate at home in order to quell the spread of novel coronavirus, she decided to swap out the books in her lending library with non-perishable food items and other supplies for people in the community to take instead.
The move has been a resounding hit with the community, says Weymark, who has taken the precautionary measure to self-isolate at home in a bid to do her part in “flattening the curve” of new COVID-19 cases.
“There’s been people in their 30s dropping stuff off, a few of my neighbours. The first people who came I saw were about in their 60s, and then people were riding their bikes by and dropping things off. A few people have come by car – once they take stuff they’ll drive back and put stuff in it,” says Weymark.
Items have included things like toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, instant noodles and even diapers, she says.
“It’s just been word of mouth,” says Weymark.
With people self-isolating at home and going for more walks in their neighbourhoods after being cooped up all day, Weymark says she had the idea after noticing an excess of foot traffic on her street. Many of her neighbours are seniors and older adults, some of whom have mobility issues as well, she adds.
People are being encouraged to avoid large gathering places, such as grocery stores and shops, as best they can, and Weymark says she hopes that converting her lending library can help her neighbours make less trips to the store in the event they have to pick up an item or two.
She also hopes her small idea can encourage people to think big about how they can help out their own communities during such a challenging time.
“I think everyone now is having a community outlook to just help people out and it’s just a small thing that people can do,” says Weymark. “The library box has been great – and now the lending food library has been even better.”
