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NEWPORT — The Friends of The Newport Library has had a productive year, despite declining financial donations and lack of volunteers that seems to plague every non-profit these days.
In 2025 Friends of The Library provided children’s books for the Newport Hospital and Health Services Family Practice clinic’s waiting room and have recently agreed to provide children’s books for St. Anthony’s Church to hand out to families along with clothing.
“We assist their mission of helping our community and their monetary donations support our mission to support literacy, life-long learning and opportunities that help individuals and our community,” FOL President Kathie Schutte says. “Now, with so many of our neighbors experiencing financial challenges, those institutions are more important than ever.”
Non-profit organizations such as FOL are struggling to find volunteers, and with fewer volunteers, large fundraising events are more difficult to organize. Most Friends groups offer books for purchase in the library and hold large book sales, but Schutte says that over the past 18 months or so, sale proceeds have decreased significantly.
However, Schutte says that FOL have been expecting downturn and, “Have added fundraisers that are a bit less onerous with our small group of active volunteers.”
FOL donation cans and small offerings of books for sale can be found at Salesky’s Auto Care on Highway 2, at the Sidewalk Café or while getting a haircut at Newport Buzz and Cut. Volunteers have also been collecting crushed aluminum beverage cans (behind Newport Library) for a couple years, taking them by the pickup truckload and exchanging them for cash.
Coming up in March 2026 is the “Spelling Bee with Beer” fundraiser, which challenges book clubs, businesses, non-profits and other groups to compete for the title of Pend Oreille County Spelling Champions. More details to be announced.
Over the past several years FOL have provided $900 to the library for events and consumables that cannot be funded by public funding. This includes the backyard community garden project; putting about 174 books per month in the homes of Pend Oreille County toddlers; prizes for the Summer Reading and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten; food and prizes for teens and tweens, craft supplies, games, puzzles and much more.
For more information about Friends of The Library, including how to sign up for the spelling bee, go to https://pocld. org/friends-of-the-library.
