Drop Everything And Read
Celebrate DEAR month and show your support for FMCFL!
This April, we are honoring the incredible legacy of beloved children’s author and Carmel resident Beverly Cleary by dropping everything and reading! In her life, Cleary offered support to the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries which benefited thousands in our community. We are so grateful for all of Cleary's contributions.
Referenced in Cleary’s Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) is a national celebration of reading designed to remind us to make reading a priority activity in our lives. Take moments to Drop Everything And Read during the month of April. Read quietly on the couch, on a tablet at your local cafe, or read aloud to your family!
You can show your support as an advocate for literacy by donating to the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries. Gifts of all sizes make a difference and are tax-deductible.
Welcome, Melanie!
You may have seen some new names floating around in the past few months. Our previous Executive Director, Julia Foster, moved on to forge new paths in 2022. In the meantime, Eryan Cooper stepped up as our Interim Director. She worked tirelessly, filling large shoes and assembling a very successful and exciting Words & Wine event in 2022. Then Eryan headed for new pastures in November. While we miss them greatly, we are excited to welcome our new Executive Director!
Meet Melanie Zaragoza!
Melanie is a leader in the nonprofit sector dedicated to increasing accessibility and organizational sustainability. Most recently, Melanie served as Director of External Relations at the Monterey Museum of Art where she oversaw all fundraising, marketing, events, and design, ensuring a cohesive and inclusive experience for donors, members, and visitors. Prior to that, Melanie spent six years with the nonprofit Hosteling International – USA, building accessible experiences for young travelers.
Welcome to the team, Melanie!
In With The New
If you’ve visited us before, you may be looking at this website a little surprised. We’ve got a new look! We’re still ironing out the wrinkles, but so far so good, right?
We’re also working on a lot more behind the scenes, so stay tuned for an update on that soon.
In the meantime, please explore this website! Click the links you find, read things, and try to break it! Once you’ve succeeded in breaking something, email director@fmcfl.org to let us know, so we can try to fix it.
Words & Wine 2022: Update
Words & Wine 2022 with Alka Joshi was a huge success. We had hardworking volunteers, generous sponsors, and an extremely fun emcee/auctioneer.
In the end, we raised $37,000! Thank you to everyone who attended and made this possible. Your donations, big or small, make a difference to Monterey County residents.
Do you miss it though? We wish we could relive those moments! The good new is, we have photos! Click here to view the photos from Words & Wine 2022!
We look forward to seeing you next year!
Thank You, Eryan!
If you contacted us in the past few months, you may have seen a new name. After our Executive Director Julia left, Eryan Cooper stepped up as Interim Director.
She had big shoes to fill, and despite being new to fundraising, she stepped up to every challenge and helped us run one of our most successful Words & Wine events.
Eryan came to us as an Americorps volunteer, and quickly proved she was adaptable and capable of everything we needed. Despite often working on a short timelimit, she still presevered. Now, she’s headed off to study Library Science and work in a library—inspired by her work with us!
We will miss her, her sense of humor, and Southern drawl, but we know she’s headed in the right direction. All the best, Eryan! You will always have a family here.
Thank You, Julia!
In May, we said good-bye to our Executive Director Julia Foster. After five years with us, she moved on to new ventures.
Julia was hardworking, but always a source of joy. She got things done, made changes, and helped us raise a lot of money.
She was born and raised in Germany, then moved to the Bay Area in 2006 after finishing her undergrad in Translation and Interpretation studies in Barcelona, Spain. In 2008, she moved to Monterey for her Master’s degree, then she joined us in 2017. She brought a wealth of knowledge with her from her diverse experiences, and she taught us a lot.
We miss her greatly, but we wish her all the best! We know she will do great things.