A match made in Cottonwood

Four times a year the Cottonwood Community Library conducts a book sale. The sales provide the public with the opportunity to find some good reading at great values. Likewise, the sales help the library by reducing the number of donated books in storage that the library, for various reasons, has decided it cannot use, and by raising revenue that supports the functioning of the library and its programs.

This works beautifully, but there is always one challenge that has to be met with each book sale, and that is, how to find a purpose for the books the library cannot sell and must get rid of in order to allow room for future donations.

Starting in February the library is teaming up with another non-profit organization that will gain from the book sales, and help the library too. North Valley Services of Tehama County is an organization that assists developmentally disabled adults and serves individuals in Cottonwood too. They will be picking up and transporting all of the remaining books from the library's book sales to their recycling center in Red Bluff.

Lynn DeFreece is the CEO of North Valley Services. He describes his organization as a 501c3 non-profit agency which began providing habilitative services for developmentally disabled adults in January 1967, and has expanded into multiple programs in three northern California counties today.

It provides services to more than 250 disabled individuals daily through eight different programs. The programs place an emphasis on independence and integration into the community and the acquisition of functional skills. Individuals are placed according to their personal goals.

Individualized training is utilized to promote self-advocacy, education, social skills, recreation and personal care.

Vocational training is accomplished on site or in the community. North Valley Services assists persons with disabilities to find and retain gainful employment through actual job development and placement.

The library is thankful for this service and proud to be partnered with North Valley Services. This is a match made in ...Cottonwood!