Maybell Library gets fresh coat of paint at hands of volunteers from around the county

Volunteers around Moffat County spent their weekend giving back to the community by painting parts of the Maybell Library.

Jayne Morley, a board member for the Moffat County Library Board of Trustees, said that people even from outside of Maybell reached out to help improve the appearance of the library. In addition to paint, Morley said that volunteers also helped with prep work to help insulate the building to lower future heating costs. This kind of investment, Morley said, is going to help the library increase operation hours.

Increased operating hours means more access to the libraries’ various resources, including internet, books, research tools, children’s programs and access to computers.

“For us, we feel like taxpayers have already bought that building and everything inside of it,” Morley said. “It’s like denying access that has already been paid for. With projects like these, we can work toward open hours for more resources to be used. Our library has WiFi available for 24 hours. During the pandemic, people drove up outside to do homework.”

Right now, Moffat County libraries are working on reduced hours as a result of lower budgets. By reducing costs for this project by using volunteer work, Morley said that the board was able to save thousands instead of using contracted labor. That money can instead be used toward the goal of longer operating hours for the community.

“Everyone who volunteered had a can-do attitude,” she said “We were blessed with volunteers that rolled up their sleeves and got it done. Many don’t even live in Maybell. It was a love-your-neighbor event.”

Morley and other members of the board asked on social media and around their communities for volunteers. Many stepped up, and from Thursday to Sunday, the project continued each day with six to seven painters per day. Board members also coordinated with Tri-State to get some days off for employees who wanted to help with the project. By the end, the library had been transformed.

Volunteers included Morley, Kendre DiPietro (who helped organize the project), Gaylen Mitchell, John Mihalich Jr., Rick Carson, Dennis and Kathey Ogle, Ann Wagner, Mark Ball, Shirley Balleck, Mark Graham, Brandon Rinker and Joni Voloshin.

“The library manager and the board are prioritizing fiscal responsibility,” Morley said. “We’re working as hard as we can to use the money we have responsibly. We are so thankful that (the volunteers) showed their love for the building. We’re hoping it’s an example that lots of people in this community will volunteer to do things.”