project leader
Shari L
location
Corner of Versailles and Coursin Streets, McKeesport, PA
(The Seventh Ward - Library District)
latest update rss
Thank You!

the project

Recently in  the Library District neighborhood if McKeesport,  many vacant lots have emerged as a result of an initiative by the City [of Mckeesport] to tear down blighted and abandoned houses.Thanks to GTECH Strategies Reclaim program, I am one of 9 ambassadors adding beauty and community stability to the city. I am doing a ReClaim Vacant Land project with GTECH to establish a Gateway garden into the Library District neighborhood. The hope is to transform a vacant lot at the entry of the neighborhood to a beautiful gateway garden with perennial flowers, ornamental grasses, knockabout roses,  and a great deal of  beauty.  The neighborhood is home to many local assets including the Carnegie Library of McKeesport. For this project I want to fundraise for a specific item for the garden. I want to purchase a Little free Library to be both an art piece and a functional centerpiece for the Library District Gateway Garden in McKeesport PA. This will also serve as a tool for engaging the community to interact with the garden space.We are fortunate to have lots of partners in this process, neighbors as well as organizations all volunteering for this project.

the steps

1. plan to level and prepare the vacant land site with volunteers beginning May 5, 2015

2. layout the design

3. prepare woodchip walkway using donated woodchips

4. Plant perrenials on workday with volunteers

5. Purchase and install the Little Library

6. Stock little library with books donated by the Carnegie library by July 1, 2015

7. maintain on an ongoing basis

why we're doing it

The philosophy of reclaiming vacant land to improve the social, economic and environmental health of the community is phenomenal and much needed in the Mon Valley area and this is what attracted me to be part of ReClaim McKeesport program with GTECH. The importance of beauty and community are central to me and the idea of transforming vacant land to something that builds community and provides beauty pushed my buttons. So here I am – please join me in making this happen!

Conversation

What a wonderful idea!!! Thank you for caring about your community and making it a more beautiful and better place.

budget

DISBURSEMENT BUDGET (as of 5/26/15):



RAISED = $506.00
ioby Platform Fee  waived
3rd Party Payment Processing Fee (3%) $14.74
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $491.26

Additional $15 will be used toward the purchase of cement mix to hold the post in to stay permanently as well as paint the bench to match little library (cement $ 6.33 + paint $14.00)

ORIGINAL BUDGET:

The Urban reader Little Library    299.95

Library Post Topper                        49.95

Shipping                                          92.43

4x4x8 treated post                           25.00

 

TOTAL:                                       467.33



SUBTOTAL = 476
ioby Platform Fee  waived
3rd Party Payment Processing Fee (3%) 14
TOTAL TO RAISE = 491

 

updates

Thank You!

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Amanda and David
  • Ed Coker
  • Ruth Nafziger
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Mel and Lois Leidig
  • The Davisz
  • Andi C.
  • Major and Ann Mason
  • Mim K.
  • Carl & Karen Baughman
  • Peg Luketic
  • Susan Stay & Associates, LLC
  • Anonymous