Port commission, staff promote love of reading in Fruit Valley neighborhood

Accepting the port’s book donations are (l-r) Linda Garcia of the Fruit Valley Foundation and Heather Cochrun of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity.

Port of Vancouver USA commissioners welcomed guest speaker Heather Cochrun from Evergreen Habitat for Humanity to their Sept. 8 board meeting. The port presented Cochrun with approximately 100 books donated by port commissioners and staff to support Evergreen Habitat’s Little Free Library project in the Fruit Valley Neighborhood

As Evergreen Habitat’s community outreach coordinator, Cochrun gave an update on the organization’s activities in Vancouver, emphasizing the Fruit Valley neighborhood. In partnership with Valley Visionaries and YouthBuild Vancouver, Evergreen Habitat recently established five Little Free Libraries throughout the neighborhood, including one at Fruit Valley Community Center and one at Fruit Valley Elementary School.

Little Free Library is a nationwide initiative to promote literacy and the love of reading by increasing access to books via small lending libraries placed in communities. A resident can take a book and return it or replace it with another book any time.

With the book donation, the port hopes to help build literacy and inspire bookworms in the Fruit Valley neighborhood.