By Brenda Erdahl
The Maple Lake Library has been an integral part of the community for 14 years, helping to shape young minds, providing access to technology and much, much more. But the Maple Lake Library wouldn’t exist without volunteers. It was born of a volunteer effort and continues to be sustained by those people willing to give freely of their time and talents.
On Thursday, April 6, those volunteers were given a well-deserved pat-on-the back at the Maple Lake American Legion, and some of them shared their philosophy on why volunteering is important.
Several of the library’s 30-some volunteers have been with the organization since the very beginning. It all started in 2006 when Helen Mooney walked into the Maple Lake Messenger and said to then publisher Theresa Andrus, “I think we should have a library. Everybody else has one.”
Mooney and Andrus lit the spark, and soon other residents were climbing on board to see where this vision would lead them. Pam Lemieux remembers petitioning the Great River Regional Library for its support and being denied.