In smaller and rural communities across Newaygo, Lake, Oceana, and Muskegon counties, local libraries serve as central community hubs where people gather to learn, connect, and access support. Individuals and families of all ages rely on these spaces as a first port of call for programs, resources, and education.
That role becomes especially visible during the summer months. With school out, libraries become daily destinations where children receive sack lunches through partnerships with organizations like Feeding America and stay to participate in programs, pick up books, and remain engaged in learning and connection throughout the summer.
Libraries are also where a lifelong relationship with learning often begins. They are where toddlers hear their first stories, where students find resources for school projects, and where both young people and adults access technology, explore new ideas, and engage in creativity.
For more than a decade, the Gerber Foundation has strengthened these spaces. Over the past ten years, the Foundation has awarded 45 library grants totaling $168,426, supporting 13 library institutions across the region. From updated collections to innovative programming, these investments reflect a consistent belief that vibrant libraries help communities thrive.
Gerber’s support strengthens this ecosystem in practical, meaningful ways.
At the Newaygo Area District Library, where summer reading participation increased by 42 percent in a single year, funding helps ensure shelves are filled with engaging, up-to-date materials that reflect growing demand and evolving reader interests. Local leaders recognize the foundational importance of this work. As Newaygo City Manager Jon Schneider wrote in support of the library’s grant request:
“Early childhood is a crucial stage for building language, social, and cognitive skills, and the Library plays a vital role in supporting this development for children in our community.”
At Pathfinder Community Library in Lake County, support addressed the need to modernize youth nonfiction collections, replacing outdated materials with high-interest STEM, history, and arts titles so students have immediate access to relevant information for both academic success and personal curiosity.
Gerber funding also sparks creativity beyond the books. At White Cloud Community Library, a three-hour Science of a Superhero workshop engaged 62 students in an immersive experience blending storytelling, art, and science. Reflecting on the workshop’s impact, facilitator Jerry DeCaire shared:
“When kids realize that they can tell stories, shape characters, and build worlds—it gives them power. Not just in art, but in life.”
Moments like these illustrate what library support truly makes possible: confidence built through creativity, learning strengthened by hands-on engagement, and young people discovering their own potential.
In Luther, monthly story hours continue to create welcoming spaces for children to read, create, and learn together. In communities where every dollar must work hard, these programs offer consistent, accessible opportunities for learning and growth.
Together, these investments reflect a long-standing commitment to strengthening the role libraries play in community life.
Gerber’s library investments help sustain spaces where learning is intergenerational, accessible, and community-driven. They support school readiness, encourage lifelong reading habits, expand access to updated information, and strengthen partnerships between libraries, schools, and local organizations.
In communities of every size, libraries remain one of the most visible expressions of shared civic life. For more than ten years, and more than $168,426 in support, the Gerber Foundation has helped ensure those spaces continue to evolve, inspire, and serve as anchors in the community.
