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Tag: Xenia Community Library

  • There’s Never Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen at Your Library!

    Join the Cooking Caravan for creative culinary experiences at GCPL this summer! The Caravan is a group of chefs, artists, actors, and musicians devoted to enriching health and feeding artistic hunger.

    I had the chance to discuss some of the culinary programs with the Caravan’s Artistic Director John.

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    GCPL is excited to host a number of your Chef Battle programs! What’s the most fun part – for Caravan staff and the audience alike – of these performances and why? 

    First of all, we are excited to perform our Chef Battles at several Greene County community libraries this summer! The most exciting part of our Chef Battle is that we have no idea what the outcome will be. We show up with ingredients, tools, and chefs. Zero recipes, zero concepts. A few audience members are picked as sous chefs and we make something up. There’s so much fun to be had when making things up as you go along.  

    On your website, your mission states you feel it’s your duty to inspire and illuminate the minds of tomorrow; what is the overall message you wish you wish kids & teens to take away from a Cooking Caravan performance?

    “What’s in the fridge is what’s for dinner?” We advocate to work with what you have. Whether it’s ingredients or instruments, our job is to give our participants an experience that challenges them and inspires them to continue creating. There’s also a more practical application, though. Cooking is a basic skill that every human needs to know and explore at some level. If we can open your mind to even one new ingredient, our mission is accomplished.

    What should our patrons expect from your Chef Battle experiences? What should they know going in?

    They should expect a healthy amount of braggadocio and shenanigans. Our environment is stripped down, but the personalities are BIG. Our chefs’ main skill is their ability to unlock the ideas of their sous chefs. The sous chefs ultimately decide what to do with the ingredients, and the chefs are there to teach the fundamentals, handle any complicated or dangerous skills, and guide the experience. There is also an announcer that keeps the most important member of the team engaged: the audience (who are also the judges)!

    Anything else you wish to share with our patrons?

    Our Chef Battle produces bite-sized portions for the audience to sample and judge. One chef/sous chef team will walk away victorious, but everyone will walk away entertained. We only use whole produce, seeds, oils, herbs, and spices, and sometimes grains. There is never any meat, nuts, or dairy in the ingredients. There aren’t any heated elements in the battle; it’s just raw food, simple techniques, plating, and presentation. We can’t wait to see you all this summer!

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    Don’t miss the Cooking Caravan at these GCPL Community Libraries:

    June 27 – Fairborn

    June 28 – Yellow Springs & Xenia

    July 12 – Beavercreek

  • Venture Down Under Through Sounds of the Didgeridoo

    Prepare to be transported to the fantastic and wild world of Australia through the culturally rich music of the didgeridoo! Didgeridoo Down Under celebrates the instrument and its otherworldly sound. Founder, Darren Liebman, shares how the DDU show is an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, puppetry, comedy, and interactive storytelling that’s perfect for kids and families.

    Darren discussed his passion for entertainment, education, and motivational storytelling with me.

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    What is it about Australia and the didgeridoo as an instrument that excites you? How do you share that with kids? 

    I was born in South Africa, but many of my relatives live in Australia, and I’ve visited many times. The didgeridoo has been played for at least 1,500 years by Australia-native Aboriginal people, making it a culturally significant instrument that creates an otherworldly sound. Plus, it’s heaps of fun to play, especially the variety of animal sounds that can be created with it. We use the didgeridoo and various percussion instruments to play mostly high-energy rhythms that get the audience hopping and grooving. The music connects with the audience and open channels of communication that enhance every other aspect of the show.

    The DDU Show is much more than music. It includes culture, comedy, character building, storytelling, and audience participation. It’s interactive, educational, motivational, and super fun for all ages. You’ll learn about Australian sea creatures, the Great Barrier Reef and more, all while moving & grooving to the pulsing rhythms of the didgeridoo! 

    What do you and your crew enjoy most about performing for kids & teens at the library? 

    We appreciate that performing gives us a platform to share our beliefs and positive messages about treating others with kindness, tolerance, and respect, and protecting the planet. We wake up every day with passion, drive, and purpose to contribute positively to our communities and planet. We do what we love, and we love what we do. It is a privilege to be able to perform for – and hopefully inspire – every audience.

    This year’s summer reading theme is Oceans of Possibilities. How do you incorporate this theme into your performance? 

    DDU is perfect for the 2022 SRP theme “Oceans of Possibilities” because Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef and countless unique marine creatures, some of which we talk about during the show. We always promote environmentalism and protecting the oceans. 

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    Don’t miss Didgeridoo Down Under on Wednesday, June 22 at the Xenia and Fairborn community libraries!

  • Food Assistance Feeds the Heart, Mind, and Body

    Since 1976, following the 1974 tornado, the Xenia FISH Food Pantry has been a steady source of food assistance to folks across a wide range of circumstances. Gail Matson, FISH Food Pantry president since 2017, said they have served an average of five to six hundred families every month over the past few years. That is, until the pandemic hit our community in early 2020. Since that time, the number of families has been as high as 1,200 per month. “Our numbers have leveled off since that peak, but we still had 875 families this January, which is usually our slowest month,” she said.

    To give our patrons an opportunity to help our community with food assistance, the Greene County Public Library has held our annual Food for Friends drive for more than 10 years. We’ve organized this drive in partnership with area food pantries, such as the FISH Food Pantry. This year, it runs from February 14th through the 28th and provides these food pantries with thousands of non-perishable food items. It’s a wonderful opportunity for you to feed your heart while helping to provide food for your friends and neighbors. The program allows you to donate non-perishable food items in exchange for credit toward library fines.

    I had a wonderful opportunity to discuss Xenia’s needs with Gail. She is an inspiration.

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    How has Xenia’s needs changed over the past two years?

    Early on during the pandemic, we had to change everything about how we distributed food. We could no longer have people coming in to shop due to health protocols, so we had to box up the food to hand out. We re-opened this past June, which is great. The library’s Food for Friends drive comes at a perfect time for us since we expect the community’s need to remain high.

    What’s the most rewarding part of your role?

    The smiles and hugs we get from people. They really appreciate what we do. You develop friendships and worry about them if they do not come in. If I’m having a bad day, a hug from one of our clients makes it all better.

    What’s something about your work that some folks may not know?

    We respect everyone who comes to us. We instill in our volunteers the importance of treating our clients as if they were coming to a grocery store. To anyone who needs food, come see us and give us a chance to show you what we offer.

    Why are community partners so important to your work?

    I have made so many friends in this community. They hold up the pantry and help whenever I ask. Melissa Fasanella, the head librarian at Xenia Community Library, is an inspiration. She’s fun and I love working with her. Food for Friends has been phenomenal.

    Community partners are the key to our success – from donated or reduced cost services to volunteers. We have churches and organizations – Greene County Fair board, the Post Office, the Boy Scouts and, really, too many to list all of them. We had an Eagle Scout paint two sides of our building for his Community Service Badge.

    So many have donated or worked on things at reduced prices that would never have been finished without their help. Food drives, monetary donations, and volunteers – these are the backbone of the pantry.

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    Greene County Public Library is proud to partner with the FISH Food Pantry and all the other food pantries in Greene County. Bring your non-perishable food items to any of our seven community libraries – Beavercreek, Cedarville, Fairborn, Jamestown, Winters-Bellbrook, Xenia, and Yellow Springs – between now and February 28th. We’ll make sure that our County’s food banks receive them on your behalf!

    Food for Friends ends February 28th, but you can continue to support your local food pantry. Reach out to get involved by volunteering, participating in other food drives, or through monetary donations.

    To learn more about the Xenia FISH Food Pantry visit their website here.

    Community pantries that are a part of Food for Friends:

    Beavercreek: Beavercreek FISH Food Pantry

    Cedarville: Cedarville Community Food Pantry

    Fairborn: Fairborn FISH Food Pantry

    Jamestown: Jamestown Community Food Pantry – Jamestown United Methodist Church

    Winters-Bellbrook: Bellbrook Sugarcreek Community Support Center

    Yellow Springs: Yellow Springs Community Food Pantry