At the heart of TRL's Anywhere Library are the community partnerships that make our work possible. These partnerships are more than just collaborations—they’re united commitments to growth, mutual support, and collective impact. We rely on our community partners to host our stops, welcoming us into their workspaces, community centers, places of worship, and even residential areas. They help us connect and communicate with the communities we serve, and we are deeply grateful for the support they provide.
One of our Thurston County partners who has been with us from the very beginning is ROOF Community Services in Rochester. ROOF organizes a regular food bank, educational programs, and more. In the summer, they host an Anywhere Library stop, and during the school year, we visit their after-school program every month.
We recently asked Kellie and Gabrielle from ROOF to answer a few questions for us!
Can you tell us a little about your organization? What is your mission, and who do you serve?
ROOF Community Services is a non-profit organization serving Rochester, an unincorporated community in south Thurston County. Our mission is to address community needs by providing resources and services to children, youth, and families to achieve a healthy, positive, and drug-free community. ROOF started as a grassroots organization in 1993 and has grown to serve hundreds of people each year. Our main programs include the Kids’ Place After-School and Summer Program; Food Bank; Family and Emergency Services; and Community Projects.
How can people support or get involved with your organization?
In the area of literacy, we would love to expand our Reading Buddies program. Many of the Kindergarten-5th graders in our Kids’ Place After-School and Summer Program would benefit from reading aloud one-on-one or in a small group to build fluency and comprehension. This volunteer opportunity is open to high school students and adults.
We also appreciate donations of new or gently used books. We are especially in need of books for beginning readers and graphic novels for 3rd-5th graders.
Opportunities to volunteer or donate in our Food Bank and Community Projects programs are also available. You can follow us on Facebook or contact us to learn about needs throughout the year.
How does Anywhere Library contribute to the well-being of your community, business, or organization?
Partnering with the Anywhere Library has been most impactful for our Kids’ Place program. During each monthly visit, the TRL staff bring new and different materials for the kids to check out. Amoreena listens to what the kids like to read and brings books they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, including Spanish language books and audio books. TRL also brought in another partner, the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, to provide coding activities for participants. Being located outside of an urban core, it can be hard for families, especially lower-income ones, to travel for library or other services. Part of ROOF’s mission is to bring more resources and services to Rochester, so we appreciate when we can partner with other agencies to do that.
Do you have any fond memories from an Anywhere Library visit?
Last summer, TRL Anywhere Library sponsored a workshop for our Kids’ Place Program with balloon artist Mr. Twister. The entire room was filled with thousands of balloons! Mr. Twister gave the kids some basic direction on different balloon artist techniques and then set them loose to create. Participants came up with amazing designs and it was incredible to see them display patience and problem-solving skills while having a fun and unique experience.
If you’d like to visit our ROOF stop, check out upcoming dates on our event calendar!
