Middletown Strong: Looking Up with Russell Library
Middletown Strong: Looking Up with Russell Library
The Salvation Army | Captain Erin & Lieutenant Brian Perks
Most people associate the Salvation Army with the wonderful bell ringers collecting funds in their red kettles around the holiday. However, this is just one of the many ways that the Salvation Army serves its communities From embracing the homeless, uplifting the abused or abandoned, training and mentoring the disadvantaged, providing character building programs for youth, or assisting the displaced or elderly, the Salvation Army is there to support and serve all year long. In today's episode, Briana and Cate sit down with Captain Erin & Lieutenant Brian Perks to discuss the many initiatives happening at the Salvation Army right here in Middletown. Whether you're in need of service or looking to serve, this conversation will span it all! With the holidays upon us, don't miss the opportunity to learn more about this invaluable community resource.
https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/southern-new-england/middletown/
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This podcast uses music by Ashutosh, under a creative commons license:
Time by ASHUTOSH | https://soundcloud.com/grandakt
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Hello. Welcome to Middletown Strong Library. I'm Brianna with Kate to Hollis. And today, for our December episode, we're speaking with Captain Aaron Perks and Lieutenant Brian Perks of the Salvation Army here in Middletown. Welcome to both of you. Thank you. Glad to be here. Yeah. So I guess we'll get started. Can you start by telling us how both of you got involved with the Salvation Army? And why have you chosen to serve middle town specifically? Well, both of us come from families that have been involved in the Salvation Army. Both of our parents are ministers in the Salvation Army. All the officers, like myself and my husband, are both ecumenical trained and service trained. So we do the church and we do social services. And both of our parents came from that. So we were kind of born into it and raised into the Salvation Army. And within the Salvation Army, when you sign up to be an officer, Lieutenant, Captain Major, you get assigned a location. So Lieutenant came here first in June of 2023, right here, and then I married him in October of 2023. So then I joined him. Before that, I had a separate post for the location that I was in. But we love Middletown. We've grown to enjoy all of the benefits of this community and we are like, We are so glad we would choose it. Yeah, in a heartbeat. But it was assigned to us for Middletown. That's cool. So I guess my follow up question is like, how do you get assigned? Like, I guess your rank? Is that what it would be called? Yeah, it's experience, life experience. Previously. My husband was a teacher. He worked at our thrift stores, the Salvation Army. You know, we sell thrift stores and he has more management experience. Myself, I have more. I was early ed preschool in college. And then I also have done a lot of social work. So it kind of depends on your ability. Also have a cooking experience for like soup kitchens. Oh, wow. Now, being in Middletown doesn't have that, but that's something I take no matter where I go. So they would say, Oh, this place has a soup kitchen. When I was in Pennsylvania, we had one that served every day. So it was using my skill set I could do easily in that location. That's really cool. But officially, our ranks are the amount of time served. So your first five years, you're a lieutenant years, five through 15. You're a captain. Once you reach 15, then you become a major in any rank. Above that is just administration titles. That's cool. I didn't know the Salvation Army had that. So that's really cool. It's a stick with the theme. William Booth The Salvation Army. He started in 1865 in London, England, and he gave his ordained ministers rank. So there's Cadet when you're in seminary. Then Lieutenant, then captain, then Major Bath and the Lieutenant Colonel. Colonel. We have one general in London and a commissioner. So those are kind of administrative offices. That's so cool. All right, I'm already going to go off book. All right. Is there a question? So you mentioned that you. What were you just in Pennsylvania before? Oh, no. Where were you both before coming to Middletown? I'm originally from Pennsylvania, but I was in Pennsylvania, a Hartford, before I came here for a year and a half and then Pennsylvania for three years before that. And Maine. Two different locations in Maine. Sanford, Maine, which is near Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Augusta, Maine, the capital. And Berlin, New Hampshire, which is like Mount Washington. Like an hour north from Mount Washington. So those have been all my my posts. Wow. How about you? And then prior to coming to Middletown, I actually as well was in Berlin, New Hampshire, for a year. And then two years I spent in Laconia, New Hampshire. He's originally from Massachusetts. Yes. Oh, wow. Cool. So the Northeast. Yeah. Where you've been hanging out. Okay. So most people are familiar with the name of the Salvation Army, but I don't think everyone understands the full extent of what you do. So can you give us an overview of the scope of services provided by the Salvation Army? So the Salvation Army intends to meet the need of humanity in the name of God. And here in Middletown, primarily right now, we have our food pantry, which is on Tuesdays from 930 until noon. Although in the New Year, we're looking to expand that to Thursdays as well at the same time. We also have a clothing voucher program where each year any individual that's a resident of Middletown can receive a $30 voucher. And we're also looking to expand some of our other services. But we're just figuring out what the need is that isn't being met here in Middletown and also partnering with other social service organizations because we don't want to duplicate, but we want to support the other work that's being done already here in the community. In addition, we have bilingual services on Sundays for both adults and children. And then we're working on expanding our programming throughout the week as well. We have a ladies, a ladies group that meets together as well. We provide programming for children. So, like, it's kind of like scouting. So they do scouts, they get badges, but it's not Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. So character building classes for them as well. And yeah, so it's a twofold the service because of our love of God. So we have the church and we have the social services. And I think most people know the social services or the thrift store. Yes, well, everyone knows of their store or they just see the red bucket and think, oh, that's just the Salvation Army's that one red bucket. But like I said, both Lieutenant and I do the administrative and the ecumenical part here in Middletown for this location. We handle it both. Mm hmm. Now, that's really helpful to know, because I think you're right. I think most people really do only know of the social services. And. And also, you know how you work with the social. Like you said, not wanting to sort of step on the toes of other organizations. And and that's so that's that's a great part about Middletown. We're trying to connect with the chamber and with Saint Vincent de Paul and other social service agencies and finding those gaps and filling those because it you don't need a duplicate. You need to fill the gaps and find the resources that people are need and see how the Salvation Army can help in that. That's the food pantry we're looking to open up on Thursday. There are other food pantries open Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, and there's a void on Thursday. So we're like, Oh, that's a great way to leverage to meet more need and give availability. People who might not be able to make it on the other days because there are gaps. There's always gaps, but that requires communication. So it sounds like you're really working on on that. That's really cool. All right. So our next question is, can local residents volunteer with the Salvation Army? And if volunteering isn't an option, how else can they support you? We do have volunteer opportunities every week. There is a website where people can go on and be able to view what those are. They do change seasonally. So certainly at this time of year we do have opportunities to ring the bell outside of stores, but we also have people that are volunteering to help pack the Christmas baskets, both food and toys that we give out during this time. But even during the summer, just the food pantry alone can take up to three or four people to prep for and then be able to administer that to the community. We're always looking for janitorial as well. My husband and I are the only two employees of of our location, so a lot of the janitorial will do sweeping the floor, vacuuming, getting ready for other programming. So that's always a need if someone wants to do that light maintenance at times two always looking for little things here and there. There's always ways to volunteer. Certain aspects, you know, have to fill out application. If you're working with minors, especially. We take that very seriously in any organization, but everything else, we we try to keep it open for anyone who wants to volunteer. And what's the website that people can go on to look for those volunteer opportunities. It's service dot com, but it has an interesting spelling. I can provide you with that. Okay. Yeah, we can add that to the. Perfect. Yeah, that sounds great. I can't remember exactly how to spell it, but it's. It's service. But it's spelled. Okay, perfect. Say he knows that answer. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah, That's important. Mm hmm. So librarians occasionally encounter community members that need extra support. And if we wanted to make a referral to your organization, how would one go about doing that? Our best bet is just to send them down while we're open. Were open Tuesday and through Friday, 930 till three and we have somebody there to answer the phone or that answer at the door. And usually this they have to declare their need were very low barrier. Our food pantry is very low barrier, which means all you have to say is I need food. I live in Middletown. Here's my address, here's my name. These are the people that live in my house. We try to keep it that way so that people can get the items that they need. We do as a times for proof of ID, especially if you're getting a voucher, because we want to make sure the person who got the voucher receives the voucher. Again, that's very low barrier. You don't have to bring in proof of income or expenses. We just say if you're a need, you say it. You're declaring that. That's the same thing with our Christmas program that we do. If you declare you're in need, I'm going to take your word for that. And I try to assist you the best that I can. We also try to give that individual resources to other things we know that they'll be able to receive. Yeah. For themselves. So that might be another referral to Saint Vincent de Paul or another agency within the area. And we would provide them the address, you know, the phone number, what they might need to bring to that location as well. The same thing goes for like we work with two on one, a lot of people think you can just call two, one one, but you actually can go online two on one city, dawg. And it's like a Google search. Wow. So you just type it in your phone. You know, if you have wi fi or you can go on any computer. Two on one city, dawg. And literally you can type in I need fill in the gap and you put in your zip code and it will pop up locations and hours and services. Multilingual. It also has a dropdown menu. What language you might speak. So you just have to find that and look down to, you know, whatever language it may be. And that's something we use a lot too, is just showing people that this is a search engine that can hook you up to be able to find the resources. I need help paying my rent, I need help with food, whatever the need is. You can just type in in that little search engine and it will pop up locations, agencies that will serve their hours, their phone numbers and information that they might require you to bring to receive a service. I'm glad you brought that up because, yeah, I feel horrible for saying this, but I didn't realize they were online too, because you're just so used to people saying like, just call two, one, one, and then you're sitting there and you go, Yeah. Yeah. So it's really cool that you have that website and you can just find what you need like so much faster. Yeah, and I didn't learn about it until this year actually. And it's wonderful Again, I show people, even if they don't speak the same language as I. Yeah, I can use Google Translate to show them even on my phone and walk through that. Just put two on one city dawg, and then just find your language and all and they can type it in even on my, my phone or, you know, public computer here at the library or instead of calling and having to have a long wait and you can print it off, I mean, it's just so nice to have it has the address and everything on there. So the only service that they haven't yet migrated to that platform is those who are looking for housing, whether temporary or permanent. That still does have to happen over the phone. Mm hmm. Okay. And I think, you know. Yeah. And I believe in some locations, too, if you arrive at one of the warming centers. So the warming center from middle town is at grace and Mercy. I believe church. It just opened December 1st, so it should be open. Yeah, I mean, it's open now in the evenings. Seven, seven, seven, seven, seven, seven. So an individual who's facing homelessness or experiencing homelessness temporary or permanent, just maybe that evening, if you go to the warming center and they will provide other resources as well for housing housing crisis is that I might not be aware of or in the general public. It's just a good they would have to go there and they will receive a warm, you know, accommodation for the evening and then some additional resources as well. That's really good. Yeah, that's that's very helpful. Speaking of Christmas in December, people often see bell ringers collecting funds for the Salvation Army, which we kind of touched on briefly. So where do those funds generally go that are collected? So those funds stay right here in Middletown to help residents of Middlesex County. A lot of people just assume maybe 50% of it goes towards our national economy, stays local, but it really all does stay local. Wow. $0.87 of every dollar that's done donated to the Salvation Army stays with the Salvation Army. The other$0.13 goes towards administrative fees. But this last year, we collected $32,500. Wow. And $32,500 went out to service the community through our clothing program, through our food pantry, and even just providing other basic services. One of the things we've been able to do in the last six months is to provide basic hygiene kits, but also to those that come to our food pantry and asking someone if they would like a hygiene kit and watching their face light up is is something special. And that's because of people in the community donating. Without those donations, we would only be able to give out government food. But what those funds were able to provide even more to the community than just their basic what we might think of as necessities, but really things that otherwise they may not have. And that's a gap tool we like to fill. Like the soap you can't get if you have food stamps, you can't buy a bar of soap with that food stamp money. And that means you maybe not have to pay soap, toothbrushes. And that's where the community helps to fill that gap. Even within our food pantry itself and like Lieutenant, my husband said, just watching somebody even receive something so basic as a new toothbrush and a small bar of Irish Spring soap and the like. Yes. Or laundry detergent, you know, the lotion or shampoo, even if it's a little. We do travel size little ones at times instead of a full bottle. That really does go a long way. Toilet paper, paper towels, things that people don't think about. Yeah, that we can spend that money on. We also use some of that kettle money for our summer camp sponsorships for youth. We have a summer camp run by the Salvation Army in Ashford, Connecticut, right outside of Yukon, and we do sponsorships for children that are from underprivileged families to go for a week of camp. So Monday through Friday. The parents pay a very small fee, usually between 50 to $85, and that includes their transportation, their camp stay. They get to go swimming, boating, you know, traditional open air camp. Yeah. So last year we sent we had only 14 spots, but because other locations weren't able to fill their spots, we ended up sending 25 children. That's awesome. And that money can goes to help support these children to go to camp, experience that time away and have a fun summer memory at our camp and maybe even learn how to swim. You know, things that they might not have had an opportunity to do before. That's that's wonderful. Well, this kind of leads into the next question then. So with the holidays upon us, if people are looking to make donations, what types of things are. Is it is it hygiene materials that are most needed or toys for a toy drive? I mean, what are you hoping? Or winter coats? What kinds of things might people donate? As of right now, any hygiene products that are new and unused are appreciated. Again, whether full size or travel. You know, you come away from a hotel with two bottles of soap that you didn't use. Those are exceptionally helpful. Toys are appreciated as well. Again, new when we give them out to parents, we like to make sure that everything is there. And while we do appreciate people that want to recycle toys, there are avenues for that. But I know oftentimes the parents, when they see a new toy, it means just that more to them. Yeah. And then again, when you are always accepting nonperishable food items for our food pantry, the only thing we can't currently do is take donations of used clothing or furniture. Okay. Unfortunately, there's not a store here in Middletown anymore, and we just don't have the ability to get it to any of our stores currently. Mm hmm. And so while we are sad that we're unable to do that, I know that there are wonderful places in the community, the goodwill, the store over in Crum, that there are some some great places. And we do try to refer people to those because we're not able to take those at this time. Let's go see. Another thing is hats, socks and scarves, especially if they're new. That, again, goes a long way. Someone's cold that they can take that and warm up. Same thing with feminine hygiene products, you know, razors. Tissue paper, toilet paper, those type of things, food related. It's always interesting to see families just light up when we can give them peanut butter and jelly. You think? Oh, just peanut butter, Yeah. Or like sliced bread. That's new. Or a donation monetary donation for us to get some sliced white bread. It's like, well, I have the peanut butter, I have the jelly. I don't have any bread, you know, or crackers to put it on. Same thing with we do a lot of shelf stable milk. A lot of our pantry clients enjoy that because again, it's not like can get cereal, but where can I get the milk. Yeah. So it's those type of things that we really appreciate from donors. We also accept like if you wanted to make a donation just for money to be used for a camp, you could write like I want to sponsor a child to go to Camp Ayers $300 and make that specific donation as well. Is it easier for you if it's an unrestricted donation so that you have the, you know, sort of the freedom to use it, however you think is most needed at that time, or does it not really matter? Surprisingly, we're always happy to have a restricted donation because it means it goes towards what the person intends it for. Okay. And again, if it's restricted, if it says, you know, to buy 100 razors, we can only use it to buy 100 razors. But then that tells us I know I will buy 100 razors that will go into the community. And that's one less thing that I have to look at the spreadsheet and say, Do we have enough money for 100? Yeah, you know, it just makes it that much easier for us. I always do caution though, not to get overly like generalized with that. Yeah, because, you know, my husband's sitting here with red hair and I said, I can only use this money to have donors that have red hair come in like, you know, that's a little bit too big, like, you know, for food or for families in Middletown or, you know, not and with that example, with the razors only purple razors, please. Like a little bit tiny little ways. Yeah. Yeah. A little wiggle room. And we want to make sure it can meet the most need for the most people. So that that is a very good question. And we have had people take I'm sorry, I was gonna say it does take out some of the guesswork like yeah and we have had people call or email asking, you know is is there a need for this, Can I donate for this? And again, we we appreciate that because again it it helps them know what their money's going get and to feel good about giving and that's what we want people to know is when they give it's going for something. And if they do want to give unrestricted again, there's lots of needs that we have and things that come up. So we accept all types of donations. So if someone like let's say I wanted to bring 100 razors down, like would I just show up and say, hey, have 100 razors for you? Or do you prefer like people call you first and say, Hey, look, I want to donate these razors. When can I come? Yeah, that's that's usually best because I can organize. Like I said, we are open regular hours. Yeah, but you never know. Emergencies do happen. We are actually getting renovated right now, so. Oh, that's exciting. Yeah, We have our carpet coming tomorrow, so it's a little bit negotiated. We just do a little bit negotiating with that. Yeah. So that's why I always say it's better to call ahead and say, Hey, I'm going or can I collect this for you? Will you need this? Yeah. And especially about the new items it does particular, but that's for a reason. You know, we want to make sure the safety of those individuals receiving the items, you know, expiration dates, all of those things we do check. Yeah. So it just does hurt sometimes when we have to throw something away because it's used or opened or out of out of date and people have the best intention that they do. You know, they might not even notice it was like that, but we unfortunately would have to throw that away because we're not able to give it to the individual. Yeah. And we we will even come in and pick things up from people, even schools that have done food collections or a couple of years ago I had a key club collect socks for the homeless. Oh, wow. And I got a chance to go and speak with them. And again, it's it's interesting when you're able to speak to the people who did the collecting to help them understand a little bit more. Yeah, that's really cool. Yeah. And it and it it allows the person not only to be informed, but then they do understand kind of where they're, how they're helping and who they're helping. And it's, they're going to be more inclined to help again if it feels like it's really going back into the community. Because I think sometimes people wonder, is it really going to people? Where is it going? And that's how we encourage, too. Like we always if somebody wants to come and volunteer at the food pantry for the day to see, you know, the people that you're helping or, you know, when we give away toys or things, it does really make a difference to see that and see those people receiving the items, you know, their gratitude and like, Oh, wow, I, you know, I could get this. Yeah. So in this location is is nice. Absolutely. Is there anything else that you'd like people to know about the work you're doing that we didn't touch upon already? And what's the best way for folks to connect with you both? I think one thing I'd like the public to know is that we do have Spanish services. I'm working my way towards being bilingual. Mm hmm. But we have quite a few people from Central America that do come and receive services. Mm hmm. And I know that there's sometimes a little bit of a hesitancy for people to come. But we are working on on making that available to people and, again, trying to work with other organizations to so that when a person shows up there, they're greeted by and prepared by someone who can speak their language as well. I've gone to a couple other countries, and I'll tell you, when you see someone that speaks your language, if you're in need, it's a huge help because it's one less barrier that you have to pass then. And so we're working on making all of our services available in both English and Spanish. That's really also that's why, unfortunately, without him, my Spanish is very limited. I have barely speak English. I think that's hard enough for me to speak English. So I do rely on my husband a lot for the bilingual, but we do have Spanish and English application for individuals to fill out. We do use Google Translate. And then, Lieutenant, he does speak enough Spanish to try to help someone navigate the complexities of trying to find assistance and our church services as well. Being both an English and Spanish is is a little bit helpful to the community members who might speak those languages. And then again, as as our interaction with the community grows, as we build more partnerships, we're looking to expand. So we're always looking for other groups to to partner with, to work with. Mm hmm. And again, the more we work together, the more we can accomplish. And I've seen the good work that's happening here in Middletown. And I'm I'm encouraged. I really am. And not just that the needs are being met, but the community's desire to help meet those needs. When there's funding requests, people are opening their wallets and saying, Let me help. And I love ringing the bell at the kettle because it's the one time of year where people joyfully come up and give. And it's it's such a wonderful experience because there's no expectation that anybody does it. We're just providing the opportunity for people for a small amount, to be able to help out others. And when you see someone come out and drop a dollar in, they may think, I'm not really helping someone, but I get to be on the other end of it, seeing the people that are being helped. The number of people that come in and are just so thankful to us and we're just the conduit by which it happens. We're not making it happen, but I appreciate this community so much for their desire to help. Yeah, and they're very connected. Middletown For the communities, I've never seen a main street so active and alive and community members who really care about one another and love one another. It just it's it's amazing. It really is. Other communities I've been at haven't been that blessed, but I really think Middletown is special for that me that there is a lot of care and concern and and support for one another for, you know, community the businesses working together, service agencies working together. And, you know, it's just a beautiful part of the community. I would agree with you. I I'm not from Connecticut, but I've been here for 20 years. Yes, 25 years at this point. And I feel the same way. There is a real community feel that I didn't I grew up in New Jersey and I didn't quite have that. It was it was very I don't know. There's just it does have something special it's hard to put your finger on. But I'm glad to see that you guys that you're both feeling that. Yeah. Yeah. Since you've come here and we were very excited about continue. Like my husband said, continuing to build those relationships. If there's, you know, a glaring need that we can try to meet that need again, not try to replace another agency or take over anyone else's service that they're providing, but add to it or add something else that's that's not within the picture. Other programming we're looking at is doing like a cooking literacy program in the new year. That's a great idea. Yeah. So families would come together as a family, eat a meal together, a hot meal together, and then the adults would have classes about budgeting, shopping, cooking, you know, meal planning. And then the children would receive character building classes at the same time. And in another room, but the same building. And then after the six week class, they would graduate and receive like a crock pot, cooking utensils, an apron, a little tomato plant, so they can kind of garden by themselves. So that's again, another program we're looking at in the New Year, finding funders. We have the the facility for it. We have some teachers lined up, myself and my husband to start off with. But those type of things where, you know, this could really do some good, it's just, yes, we give someone groceries. We want to try to help them to figure out use these groceries in the best way possible. How can they budget, how can they even navigating, trying to open a bank account to make a savings account could be part of that budgeting process. It's scary. I mean, I was scared of my first bank account and how to manage that is something that's many people don't know or haven't learned, and we have the ability to try to teach that. So that's again a new program we're looking at in the new year. I think that's awesome because I feel like that is a need here to just know where to get like good food for yourself and prepare it in a way that you're putting everything to use. I just think that's so cool, right? I'm really excited for you guys to launch that. Yeah. Yeah, it should be. It should be fun. Well, and it's it's being setting it up in a way that that the kids have somewhere to be and the parents. And it's that family communal experience of eating together. Everybody gets some something from it and you've really thought it all the way through. So that's and that's what we like to like. We eat together every night for dinner, my husband and I and I think our families, my family did that every night that we could. My family does it, too. Yeah. So again, that's another way just to be together as a family and to share maybe the things of your day or the trials. And it just really does add something different. Instead of eating in front of the TV, you're going your separate ways. Yeah, which happens. There's nothing wrong with that. But there is something different about sitting together and sharing a family. Absolutely. Absolutely. All right. Well, we know you're very busy and so you might not have an answer for this question. So hopefully we'll make something up. That's good. But as librarians, we love a good recommendation. So is there a book or a film or a podcast that you've experienced recently that you'd like to to put out into the community, something you'd like people to know about? I think probably my favorite book is Mia Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Okay, Even if you're not a Christian, it it does outline some basic humanistic thought as well as giving some perspective towards some of the questions that we generally have as humans. You know, what is my purpose? What am I doing and how do I get to a point where where I can be okay and successful with who I am and what I'm doing? And it's just a help towards that. Yeah, we all need that. Yeah. I was thinking of this, too. I was like, What am I going to answer? Because I don't read a lot and that's terrible. They say it's a living thing, but the one app that I really do is is called you Vision, You version of the Bible app. And I have devotionals, all different devotionals and from everything from divorce to dating to different books in the Bible. And it's on your phone, which I like because a lot of times I don't carry a lot of books with me. I'm, you know, I'm online digital copy. So I really do. They have music, They have some meditation music and things that are really nice. So I like to use that. That's something I always recommend to people and different languages and versions of the Bible, you know, that you can find on there. It's just amazing to me. That's why we ask. Yeah, right, Exactly. Everybody has a different answer. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, thank you both for coming. This has been such a great conversation. I feel like I just learned so much because I think you mentioned it when you wanted to bring up that anything else that we haven't covered, that you wanted people to know. Whereas like like I give a dollar when I go to stop and shop and I see someone ringing the bell, but I never know, like, is this even doing anything? It's a dollar. So I feel really good knowing that even though I live in Meriden and not in Middletown, when I do give my like a dollar, the next time I see someone ringing the bell, it's going to go to use and it's going to. And there's so many different ways for it to be used. So that's just really nice to know. And I'm just glad I know more about your organization now because I knew nothing other than that. You guys are really nice people and we wear funny suits. You know, we had one I like. I know you're selfish, very obvious. So thank you both. This has been really. And it is. I'm glad you got that, because it is every community that has a Salvation Army. It's may provide something different, but the basics are that Meriden has a Salvation Army and they provide for the community in ways similar and different than us. I know they have a soup kitchen and other programming as well, and it really is amazing how far that $1 can really go. We order bulk food to discount prices because we're able to with a large organization. Yeah, or same thing. Backpack for kids. We can order thousands of them and get at a discounted price. And that $1 could actually buy 50 backpacks, believe it or not. Wow. So that's that's a good thing to know. And thank you for reminding us of that. Yeah. Well, thank you again for being here. And yeah, now we know where to donate. We do. That's where my money's going. Okay, So stay tuned for turn that up and shop life. Goodbye. We're done. Hello and welcome to the segment we're calling. Turn That Show Up projects at Russell Library that are too good to keep quiet. It's the holiday season and things are getting busy at the library. We're cramming for exams, learning new hobbies and dancing to get the Wiggles out. Joining me is Shannon Baer. Larry Shannon, do you ever have a problem with the Wiggles? I never have a problem with the Wiggles. I love dancing. Dancing is if I could dance every day, I would as about to say, I like dancing to not not for you know, just to express myself. Not not to not to entertain others. No. It's it's for self-preservation, I think. Oh, that's a good way of putting it. Yes. And if you just feel good, like beat going, it's hard not to keep moving. That's right. And we have Steph Friday dance parties, few and far between. But I feel like they'll be coming back again. I think we need to get in that wiggle in spirit. Absolutely. Yeah. So we have some fun things coming up. The library's drop in program homework help will continue through the winter on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., experienced tutors will be available to help in a variety of subjects, and we'll work in small groups to assist students on their homework assignments. Homework Help Center is intended for middle and high school students, but elementary school students are welcome to attend. If a student is attending under the age of 12, a caregiver must remain in the building for the duration of the session. These sessions will take place in this space, a.k.a. the teen area of the library. In this program is sponsored by the Teen Violence Prevention Grant, courtesy of the YMCA. That would be helpful. I wish I had that in high school. Absolutely. I don't know if I would have gone, but maybe I would have and it would be nice to know it's there. It's nice to know that it's there. Exactly. Also, for young adults, this will include opportunities to learn how to crochet, make beauty products and take a break. Need some time to unwind? The library will offer hot chocolate and cookies to help relax before finals week on Thursday,
December 12 at 5:30 p.m. oh, that's nice. It is nice. I'm going to have to check that out. I know I might steal a cup of hot chocolate. Yeah, I hope they don't mind. I'm a teen. A teen at heart. A teen at heart forever and always. Glimmer on a budget is possible with the library's DIY Beauty Workshop on Saturday, December 14th at 3:30 p.m.. Join Rachel, a.k.a. The Replanted Witch, to make a shimmering dusting powder inspired by lush cosmetics. Dry shampoo or an edible face mask. And on Tuesday, December 17th at 6 p.m., learn how to crochet the basics or work on the projects in the space. Wait, so let's go back to the Edible face mask. Right. What do you think? It's like cookie dough. I don't know why my mind just went there. I don't know. I was thinking of something kind of like a warm, you know, like ice cream consistency. Okay, I don't know. Or maybe like a fruit roll up to you. Oh, I love fruit lol. And then there was fruit by the foot. Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah. When it sets, it'll be like a fruit roll that you can just eat after. Yeah. So I guess we're young adults at heart and we will be attending these programs. We will. Any chance for a snack? You may see me there. Sounds good. And you're invited. Of course. Oh, Mm hmm. But extra snacks mean extra energy. And if your little ones have extra energy as the holidays approach, bring them to the library to dance it out on Friday, December 20th, at 10:30 a.m., our librarian will lead young dancers through some steps, use props, and have plenty of time for free dance and imagination. We will use a variety of dance styles. No experience is required. Close tread movement are recommended and dance wear is encouraged but not required. So yeah, if you have your leg warmers, your leotards in tutus. Right? Always a teacher, always sparkles. Yes. Yes. Life's too short not to sparkle. And then on Saturday, December 21st, at ten 10:30 a.m., you can meet local ballerinas in the Hubbard room, hear a story, learn some dance moves, and get your picture taken with real life dancers. This event is for families and children of all ages. Feel free to come in costume yourself. So definitely U2 to definitely a tutu and a tiara. Oh, of course, you know. Why not? I mean, if you're going to go for it, just do it all for all the details. Exactly. Yes. On Monday, December 23rd, at
2:30 p.m., the library will show Disney Pixar's inside out to a movie about mixed emotions and the challenges of growing up. So it turns out that joy, fear, anger, disgust and sadness were just the beginning. Join us in the Hubbard room to laugh, cry and eat popcorn. Did you see inside out? I have yet to see it. My nieces love it, though. Yes. Like they're between ten and two. I don't know if the two year old really understands what's going on. She understands probably her emotions. Yes. It's like I have felt that way. But the from the age range of those, they love it. And their parents, my siblings love it. So I think it is a thing for the entire family. It's not just for children. Absolutely. And this is going to be the first of some family movies that we're going to be showing on Monday afternoons, definitely in December, and then I think also in January. Okay. Good point. It's it's a good opportunity to to get together and, you know, eat some popcorn. Yes. So it's never too late to celebrate the new Year, especially for little ones. On Saturday, December 28th, the library will celebrate New Year's at noon. Join us for a deejay dance party in the
Hubbard room starting at 11:30 a.m.. We will count down to the library ball drop at the stroke of noon. Children of all ages and families are welcome. And yes, where are your festive attire? Possibly a tutu, maybe a crown or just something sparkly. I will be there. Yes, that is nice. Oh, we will be there. We should join you. And we get our wiggles out. We'll get the. We will have no wiggles in December. So I hope you've heard about a program that interests you. If you have, please feel free to share it and feel free to share what you've heard in this segment. Russell Library has too many exciting things going on to keep them quiet. And for more library recommendations, stay tuned for shelf life. Hello and welcome to Shop Life. I'm Stephanie Rush. And today I'm here with my friends Brianna and Kate. Hey. Hello. Hi, friends. All right. It's December. How did that happen? I know, right? Suddenly in December and we are winding down the calendar year, so I thought it'd be fun to talk about some of our favorite books or awesome books that we have not gotten a chance to bring to the show yet. Does anyone want to go first? Kate Brown? Oh, he's going to start us off with two books that she loved this year that we have not heard about yet. So I picked these off the shelves and it's a trilogy. It's called The Bright Storm Twins, and it's an adventure Explorers story. And it's about these two twins, Maddie and Arthur. And they live with their dad and he's an explorer. He's gone off on an expedition, and they just got word that he hasn't come back. And so they are told that they've lost their house, that their dad has broken the Explorer code and that he's missing on his expedition. And so it's about how they are trying to figure out their the loss of their father, the loss of their house. And then they are sent to live with these horrible people. Oh, yeah. So it's and by doing this, they also connect with Harriet, who is looking for a crew of people to go and explore. And so they connect with Harriet and they end up going off on this great adventure and they find family, you know, they find a new family, and they eventually discover the mystery of what happened to their father. So it's a great book. How old are they? They are. Well, I think they are like 11 or 12. Yeah. So it's a middle grade. series is a trilogy and the cover is really It is. Is called The first one is called Bright Storm. And it's got a, um, they call them sky ships. So it's like a hot air balloon, but the basket is a boat. And they there's you know, their ship underneath. So the cover of the first book called Bright Storm has what looks like a hot air balloon. And then they've got their ship underneath and there's a bird really cool looking cover. Yes. And the important thing about the bird is that each explorer family has a tattoo. And this bird here, I believe, is probably Athena, who figures very prominently in the book. And that's cool. So it's it's really it's just a really great series. It's a quick read also. So that's the first in the series Brainstorm by Vashti Hardy. And the second one is Dark Whispers A Bright Storm Adventure. So now they've come back from their first expedition in Bright Storm, and they're going off on their second expedition with Harriet and the crew, and they're off to see if they can find one of the explorers who has disappeared. He's been sending journals home and letters, and suddenly the letters in the journals stop. So everybody's going out to see if they can find this man who has disappeared. Hermitage Wrigglesworth Earth. Michael, what a name and author has been reported missing in the stellar Oceanus to the East. So Arthur Martin, Harriet and the crew have gone off to discover, see if they can find Hermitage Wrigglesworth. So there's a mystery thread through the whole series. Yes, there is. And also there are. There's other characters who are out to destroy. Of course. Yes. Wouldn't be a middle grade mystery if in the right. There's also like got the bad the bad person who's pursuing them. Cool. Sounds good. Sounds really good. Yeah. It's a series by Vashti Hardy. It's the bride to brainstorm. Twins, I believe. It sounds like a good series to dip into for, like, cold weather. Oh, it's really cool today. How many books are in the series in total right now? Three. I'm reading the last one. It's called Firestorm. Oh, you're currently reading that one? Yeah, I'm currently reading that one. And they've learned a lot about who they are. And now they're in the third one. They've gone to an auction where there's a box that their mother had, and it's filled with stuff that nobody quite knows. But they're there. There's this auction and a mysterious person has purchased the box. So that's kind of where I am. And now they're off on their third adventure because of something they found in the box. Cool. Mm. That sounds good. It sounds really good. Really good. Quick read, too. Brianna, what did you bring us? That's totally different. Okay. Because I know you didn't bring something like that. Now, but I don't know what you did bring. So the first book I'm going to talk about actually has not come out in 2024. I got a early release copy of it through Dark Alley. It's called Say You'll Remember Me By Abby Jimenez. And it's a romance. Some of the tropes in it for people who love their tropes. We have a veterinarian, male main character. He is gorgeous. His name is and Savior. You will love him the second you meet him. Of course, his name is even though he's very brooding and grumpy at the beginning, brooding, Grumpy heart turns into a total cinnamon roll by the end of it. Robert Okay, now. Men Yeah. And then Samantha is our female main character who meets Xavier by bringing her cat into the vet and he suggests putting the cat down because there's something wrong with it. But she's like, Nope, I'm going to raise money for the surgery this cat needs because I'm not putting the cat down. And he's like, Good luck with that. And they don't they don't get it off very well. But Samantha ends up raising the money and the cat lives because no animals die in this book. Good. But other good. And they basically have this like very long, never ending first day. And it's just this instant of kind of chemistry, which I'm not always a fan of, but it worked in us. Come to find out that Samantha is leaving Wisconsin, where they both live right now, to move to California. No, of course. And they try not to see each other, but it literally doesn't work. They're just too obsessed with each other. But it's hard. Like it's they have to work really hard to be in this long distance relationship. And there's a lot of, like, complicated family dynamics on both ends, which were some things I could relate to and then some things I couldn't, but I could kind of have empathy for, like what these characters were going through. Oh, I love complicated family dynamic in a romance, especially. Oh yeah, this is probably my favorite book by this author. I've read a couple by now, but this is I can't imagine what she's gonna do next. It's going to beat this for me. For anybody who's not familiar with Abby's work, what do you like? What kind of romance does she write? I know. I kind of got you off guard. That was that was a cute pop quiz question, but I'm just like, for people who may not know her work or might not recognize it, is it is it like is it mostly contemporary rom com? I would say contemporary rom com, but more like there's a lot of emotional depth to her characters and what they go through. So you get places where romance calls. Okay, we'll go with that. And this book is part of a series I believe has basically a lot of the characters in this book were in previous books of hers. You don't necessarily have to know who they are, but it helps because when she references them, you're just like, Oh yeah, like I know who these people are. It's just it's so good. Yeah, so good. Yeah, it's it's it publishes April 1st, 2025. So keep your. I know April. I didn't think I was going to read it this soon, but I literally could not stop myself. So keep your eyes open for that. What comes out. And the other book I'm going to talk about is From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa marie Presley and Riley Keough. Oh, I hear this is excellent. It was so well done. It's it's just so emotional. Like, I was just very emotional for days when I finished this because you can just feel it and like every word that's there. And basically, Lisa marie made these recordings of herself talking about her life because she wanted to write a memoir about herself. And Riley Keough, her daughter was going to help her with this. But Lisa marie ends up passing away like a month after they kind of start this process. So Riley listens to all of the recordings and writes this memoir for her mother. So it's both of their point of views. And I didn't listen to it, but I know people that listened to it really liked that. Like you could hear actual recordings from when Lisa marie was talking, but then Julia Roberts narrates. Oh, so people didn't. I don't think most people were like mixed bag on. Mixed bag on that. But it was just so well-written because you get to just learn about like addiction and just how it's run through this family and just kind of. Come after them. But they've come together and they become so much stronger from what they've gone through. And they've gone through a lot. And it was just probably one of the best memoirs I've read. So celebrity memoir. Celebrity. My right. Mhm. And you get more of an insight as to who Lisa marie is, because I'll be honest, I didn't really know anything about her until I read this and I wanted to read it because I just had a good feeling about it being a good book. And I saw Riley Keough in Daisy Jones in the Six on Prime, and I really liked her. Yeah. So I was like, I want to know more about this girl. Yeah. So you learn more about both of them, but especially Lisa marie. And, like, she's just really sad. Like, you just feel so bad for her. But also, you really grow to, like, appreciate who she was outside of just being Ellis's daughter. Cool. So I highly recommend that. I believe that came out early. I don't know. Earlier, I think was October sometime this year. I don't know. But if you like memoirs and celebrity memoirs specifically, this is a really good one. But overall, if you want to dabble in memoirs, this is a good way to start. Cool. All right. Yeah. I'm excited to hear about your books. Yeah. So I'm going to round us out today. I picked two books today that I loved and haven't talked about yet. And I realized that they actually have a theme. They have a common thread, which I didn't realize till I was writing my notes. So let's. Let's go. So my first book today is called Not Nothing by Gayle Forman. It's a middle grade story. Gayle Forman You might know from the If I Stay, If I Fall the So Why Ace series? Yeah July eight series from several several years ago and she also writes middle grade. So a couple of years ago she had a book called Frankie and Bug, which I really loved, and it was a historical middle grade and I really, really liked it. And then when I saw that she had a new middle grade out this year, I said, okay, well, we're reading it. And then I opened it, didn't realize it was a Holocaust story. And I thought, okay, maybe not right now. I told you about this year. I remember you telling me about and I thought maybe not right now. And then I picked it up and I said, You know what? We're doing it because once I once I opened it, I couldn't stop. So it's the story of Alex and Alex. Alex's dad is gone. His mom is struggling with some mental health issues and now he has to live with some family that really doesn't want him. Alex is probably 12, if I recall, and he got in big trouble at school. Like really big like potentially have to go to juvie, trouble at school. But his social worker is able to work out a deal that instead of going to juvie, he can do his community service as penance and he's going to have to volunteer at an elder care facility. So he's already not thrilled for all the reasons I just named. And now he's like, I have to be around old people. So he gets there and he's not really having a good time. He meets another kid his age and she's really bossy and he's like, This is stupid. I don't want to work here. And then he meets Jose, who is a Holocaust survivor who stopped speaking several years ago, and the two of them form a bond that takes you on this really unexpected journey. And so we have one timeline, which is the contemporary. And then Jose is telling his story in the past. So you're getting this historic, rich, historical fiction inlaid, and everyone's like, he speaks, and all of a sudden he forms this bond with this child who really needs someone to talk to. And Jose just really needs someone to listen. Oh, it's beautiful. And you like writing the feels already. Makes me feel things. And I have even read it right. And it's like heavy and rich, but in an age appropriate way. I never felt bogged down in it, as you sometimes can with World War Two stories, but it has these parallel characters and storylines, and it has this really nuanced discussion of good versus evil, especially when talking about the Holocaust. And it's really all about how the choices we make can affect our lives in big and small ways. I just thought it was beautiful. Highly recommend if that's something you can handle right now. That's Not Nothing. By Gayle Forman and my second book, which weirdly enough, also starts with a kid getting in trouble and having no punishment. Oh, you're you're into troubled kids and, you know, don't like I'll be like you. Okay, I'll pick up a story. Everyone. They're like, on hard times, but at the end, they get uplifted. That's like, very much in in our wheelhouse. So this one is off that. So this is called Dungeons and Drama by Christie Boyce. Oh, I've seen this one has a bright pink cover. It's such a cute cover. It's really a young adult. Take it off. Yeah. So I it took me by surprise because I saw it and I was like, it looks cute, I guess. And then I came back to it cause someone recommended I was like, All right, I guess I need this right now. So it's about this girl, Riley, who's always on her best behavior, and she's not. She makes a really big, really unsafe mistake. And as punishment, she has to work at her dad's gaming store, which is not that does not sound like a punishment to me. Well, right. It doesn't sound like a punishment to me either, but it's a punishment to her specifically. She's like, I'm not interested in that part of my dad's life. Gaming is kind of silly. I just when we're working on the spring musical, like, I don't have time. So she comes in. She used to work at the store. And she meets Nathan, who works there. And he's really prickly because she's all like Broadway show tunes and rainbow sweaters and lot like big personality and she hates gaming. So automatically they're like, Are we at odds? But an interesting turn of events, they agree to fix it, which listeners know is one of my favorite tracks. So they're baiting and then it's literal dungeons and drama. Like you have the dungeons from, you have the Dungeons and Dragons element because that's what they get into playing. And you have literal drama because she's a theater kid. I love it. Can you tell? It made me feel like fizzy and sparkly the way that I do when I read like, a really good y book, You know, tons of stuff that I loved very much, a Stephanie book, but I never got around to it, especially. So I'm glad I came back to it. And it was just so like, sweet and cute and there were stakes, but they weren't super high stakes. Like, there's some family stop there, some divorced family stuff, but it's really kind of just like, frothy and sweet. And the sequel just is coming out in 2505 and oh, is it with the same characters? Same characters? I have no idea what the plot is, but it's a blue cover this time. Ooh, I love that. Yeah. So, yeah, those are some books I really liked this year that we didn't get a chance to talk about yet. Anybody have any final thoughts now? I just. I was just want to say I love hearing you talk about books because you definitely exude that energy and love of books. You've also seen me talk about a book I hate, and I get the same way, but in a different way. Yeah. Like you both, you get worked up about a book I did not like, and I get flustered in a bad way. So. Yes. Yes. Okay. Well, thank you for joining us. We hope you have some ideas for what to pick up next or maybe for next year. And thanks for listening. And we'll see you next time. I.