More Than Books: Libraries as Community Lifelines

Make-A-Day recently had the opportunity to co-host a community outreach pop-up at the Hilltop branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. In partnership with Columbus Public Health Harm Reduction and Lutheran Social Services, we brought a full spectrum of care and connection into a space that already holds so much meaning for its neighborhood. The outcomes speak volumes:

We shared 100 hot meals with neighbors, creating a space where people could sit, talk, and take a break from the day. We also had 8 meaningful one-on-one conversations focused on housing support and social service navigation, conversations that laid the groundwork for deeper trust and connection. Columbus Public Health Harm Reduction came ready to equip and educate, distributing 26 naloxone kits, 110 fentanyl and 78 xylazine test strips, and 24 warm weather backpacks filled with gloves, hats, blankets, and hygiene items. Two community members received personalized overdose prevention training, including a 15-year-old who courageously asked how he could help his friends. Lutheran Social Services met folks where they were with 50 hygiene kits and 50 first aid kits, essential offerings that promote dignity and well-being. Even more impactful, 5 individuals were connected to healthcare services, opening doors to long-term support.

But beyond the numbers, it was the setting that made this event so impactful. The Hilltop Library isn’t just a building with books, it’s a trusted neighborhood hub. A place where people feel safe showing up as they are. Where no one is turned away. Where community care is already alive and thriving.

Libraries have always been about access, to information, to technology, to warmth, to rest. But they’re also spaces of radical inclusion. And when organizations like ours step into them with humility and collaboration, the results are transformational.

At Make-A-Day, we believe outreach works best when it’s rooted in place, relationship, and respect. Not when we assume what people need, but when we partner with existing systems of trust and meet people exactly where they are.

We’re grateful to the Hilltop Library team, Columbus Public Health, Lutheran Social Services, and every single neighbor who shared a meal, a moment, or a conversation with us that day. We will be back at Hilltop on May 27th and hope to see you there!

Let’s keep showing up in places that already hold care. Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep learning. And let’s never forget the power of a library to bring people together.