HPLD Friends & Foundation receive nearly $831,000 from The Weld Trust
The Quarterly Newsletter
The High Plains Library District Friends & Foundation Newsletter
March 28, 2025, Issue 13
The grant is the final key to the multi-institution Weld County collaboration to bring workforce development and employment services to those who need it the most in rural areas.
Last week, we announced our largest grant to date of nearly $831,000 from The Weld Trust for the purchase of a Mobile Workforce Unit. This unit will travel to existing Outreach stops in our rural communities to provide employment services at no cost to those who need it. We are so excited share more about this project as it begins to take off. Keep reading to learn more details in the press release.
HPLD Friends & Foundation (HPLDF&F) is proud to announce the procurement of our largest grant to date of $830,803 from The Weld Trust to fund a Mobile Workforce Unit (The Unit) for the High Plains Library District (The District) in collaboration with Employment Services of Weld County (ESWC). The Mobile Workforce Unit is a modern mobile education vehicle which will travel to existing and well known HPLD Outreach stops in rural Weld County to deliver tailored workforce resources, training, and expertise with ESWC staff.
HPLD Libraries have been spearheading the workforce development movement with job training and certification courses at no cost to our patrons. With the help of The Weld Trust, we are now able to partner with Employment Services and take these initiatives straight to the communities that need them the most.
“Workforce Development is a priority and a Key Funding Initiative of The Weld Trust. Being able to access resources to gain or enhance one’s employment is so important. We are delighted at the opportunity to address the needs of rural portions of our County with this critical service,” said Jeff Carlson, CEO of The Weld Trust.
This collaborative effort will address the needs of the unemployed and underserved for those who currently have barriers to accessing workforce development services from ESWC or HPLD libraries. All the resources provided at Employment Service office locations in Greeley and Fort Lupton will be available on the mobile unit in addition to HPLD’s library resources. This partnership accomplished our shared goal of long-term employment that offers a livable wage, financial stability, and career growth opportunities to every Weld County citizen.
“As Weld County’s population continues to grow there is an increased demand for human and library services in our community.” said Niamh Mercer, Foundation Director of HPLD Friends & Foundation. “With the generous support of The Weld Trust, we will be meeting our population where they are, and we can improve and create essential workforce skills and provide access to existing work opportunities that are currently out of reach for our workforce in isolated communities.”
HPLDF&F looks forward to sharing more news with our newsletter subscribers as the project progresses.
Communications May Be Slowed Until Fall
HPLDF&F's office renovation may disrupt physical mail communications.
HPLD Friends & Foundation's office is closed for renovation until the fall. Communications may be delayed during this time for physical mail. Donors will receive an emailed tax receipt rather than one in the mail. Thank you for your patience during this brief period.
If you find yourself in a period of waiting, we recommend checking out these books available at your HPLD library.
"When Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bunk one morning in August 1975, it triggers a panicked, terrified search. Losing a camper is a horrific tragedy under any circumstances, but Barbara isn’t just any camper; she’s the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the camp—as well as the opulent nearby estate and most of the land in sight. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared in this region: Barbara’s older brother also went missing sixteen years ago, never to be found. How could this have happened yet again?"
"Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by a longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into a wealthy and insular art community."
"Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities."
Thank You to Our Supporters
Quarterly Update
April is Library Appreciation Month
Show your love for HPLD libraries!
Library Giving Day - April 1st
On Library Giving Day, everyone across the country, including in Weld County, come together in an incredible movement to strengthen and support the local libraries that have worked harder than ever to advance literacy, knowledge and learning this year. If you believe in the power of your local library, please support it with a gift in honor of Library Giving Day on April 1st.
Let’s work together to make Library Giving Day a success. Thank you for your support!
National Library Week - April 6-12th
National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.
Monday, April 7
A National Day of Action is a day for readers, advocates, and library lovers to take action to protect, defend, and celebrate the right to read.
Tuesday, April 8
A day for everyone to recognize the valuable contributions made by library workers.
Wednesday, April 9
A day the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.
Thursday, April 10
A day to rally advocates to urge members of Congress to protect the freedom to read.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Points West Community Bank
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