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On an overcast Saturday morning Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood welcomed a new community center where children and their families can read, meet, access technology and even exercise.
“Highland is just such a special community. We have a lot of needs, but we also have a lot of capacity,” said Highland Center Executive Director Madison Poche.
This new center is home to more than 100 books for all ages, a computer lab, printer and meeting space.
“There isn’t a community space for our neighborhood kids to discover a new book, access the Internet or play indoors,” Creswell Elementary School librarian Erin Berry said.
Berry, with funding from the Noel Foundation and Rotary Club of Shreveport, organized this new space in hopes of making sure local students and their families have access to books year-round.
“We were the principal funder for the new resource center for the Highlands and we want the Highland community to grow and prosper,” said Noel Foundation President Merritt Chastain. “This Resource Center will provide so many things for people in the Highland area, which they haven’t had in the past. So we’re delighted that we could contribute to this project.”
More:There’s a new community library in Shreveport. Here’s what you need to know
The Noel Foundation provided a grant to the Highland Center allowing them to provide evening HiSET high school equivalency classes, IT Help Hours and financial support services.
“We still have a lot of work to do here at the Highland Center,” said Poche. “This is just a step in that direction.”
The Highland Community Library at 520 Olive Street is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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