Libraries have long played a vital role in our communities. In 1884, a McCune doctor loaned out books from an office shelf until the 1910s. The next record of the McCune Osage Township Library was in the Scout House in 1968. They moved to the current building in 1984. Throughout all that time, the library has been a central hub for the community at large. In 2014 when the elementary school closed, the library had the opportunity to step in again and grow their services to the community in a big way.
Missy Johnson, the McCune Osage Library Director, put it simply, “We had an opportunity to step up and better serve our patrons. Now I truly believe we are the heart of our community! We have kids here from 3:30 until we close during the school year, and during the summers, we have kids in here all day long.”
Grants are a lifeline
As a former teacher, Johnson knew what projects and ideas would appeal to the kids in her community, and she knew she needed grant money to help make that happen. She applied for the Elm Acres grant for the FACTS (Family, Activity, Community, Technology, Self-Care) project. This grant allowed the library to purchase five Kindles, outdoor equipment, a giant checkerboard, and create personal hygiene kits and family activity kits. All of these allow the library to be a safe space for kids and families, and the activity kits allow families to check them out and have a fun activity at home, together.
“It can be so hard to ask for donations in a small town where people are just trying to get by themselves, let alone helping an organization like ours. Grants are a lifeline for us! They are appreciated and much needed,” Johnson said about the grant’s impact.
Johnson added that she is applying for more grants this year to continue to expand the library’s offerings to the community and continue to grow the community hub that is the McCune Osage Township Library.
Learn more
Applications for the Elm Acres grant cycle are available until April 30th at SoutheastKansas.org/Grant-App. You can learn more about the Elm Acres grants at SoutheastKansas.org/EA.
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas awarded over $2 million in grants from all foundation funds in 2024 and has facilitated over $25 million in total granting to Southeast Kansas since its founding in 2001. CFSEK serves the region by encouraging charitable giving to address present and future needs in our area. The Columbus, Fort Scott, and Girard Area Community Foundations are affiliates of CFSEK.