Recently, the Albert Lea Tribune included as an insert a report from the Albert Lea Medical Center about its many community benefits and donations. It was well worth reading to understand the extent of the contributions made to our community. The Fountain Lake Bookstore was very pleased to be profiled in the report as an example of a donation recipient.

When the Albert Lea Public Library Foundation decided to open a used bookstore and coffee service in the Albert Lea City Hall, ALMC’s Community Relations Committee made a generous grant to assist with our start-up costs. We continue to be very grateful for the contribution and honored to have been chosen for a gift by an organization that does so much for our area. With that kind of support, the Fountain Lake Bookstore, in its first year of operation, was able to make gifts to our library of electronics, fixtures, software for the summer reading program, and replacement books. These gifts totaled $8,150 in value. Our operation now also processes books for the Friends of the Library book sales. These sales help support their long-standing services to the library and they, in turn, donate their extra books to other nonprofit operations. The benefits keep rippling outward.

Many good things in Albert Lea are accomplished by volunteers who give their time and by donors who support those volunteer activities. On behalf of the volunteers and supporters of the Fountain Lake Bookstore, we salute the Albert Lea Medical Center for all its efforts and community services.

Grace Haukoos

on behalf of the

Fountain Lake Bookstore Operating Committee

Albert Lea