Food for Fines underway at public library

Those unable to pay their fines at Amherst Public Library now have a different opportunity to rectify their dues.

Starting Aug. 10 and running until Aug. 24, the Amherst Library began its annual Food for Fines program, allowing locals to eliminate a dollar off their fines for every can or food item they donate.

Additionally, locals don’t need to owe fines to the library to donate food to the program.

Reference specialist Becky Denes said the program has been ongoing at the library for about 15 years and typically runs twice a year for two weeks at a time.

The program is scheduled around when the Amherst Food Bank may be most in need, Denes said.

“Generally, Food for Fines will be scheduled during the summer and around the holiday season,” she said.

All donated food is then sent to the Amherst Food Bank for distribution in the community.

“Items donated to the Amherst Food Bank stay within the Amherst community and directly benefit our neighbors in need,” Denes said.

This year, the library is looking for specific nonperishable food items such as spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, Ramen noodles, instant mashed potatoes, rice mixes, stuffing, pancake mix and syrup.

Bath product donations also will be taken.

Denes said the amount of food that is donated each year usually varies and is not documented by the library. The delivery of the food to the Food Bank also has changed since the program’s inception.

Denes said the library previously delivered the food in one large delivery at the end of the program.

Now, to ensure the Amherst Food Bank remains stocked, several smaller deliveries are made over the course of the two-week program.