Here is an easy way to support the Bellingham Public Library without attending a gala or writing a check: show up to the Bellingham Community Food Co-op on Saturday, September 19, and shop as you normally would. Two percent of all sales at both Co-op locations that day will be donated to the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library.
The event is a community benefit day, a fundraising format where a local business designates a portion of its sales for a nonprofit partner. The more people shop, the larger the donation. There is no coupon to clip, no special transaction required. Just buy your groceries, and the Co-op handles the rest.
Who Are the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library
The Friends of the Bellingham Public Library are an all-volunteer organization with a long track record of supporting the library system. Founded in 1952, the group has been raising and donating money to the library for more than seven decades. Over that time, they have contributed more than $1.6 million to library programs and capital projects, a figure that reflects both the dedication of individual volunteers and the generosity of the broader Bellingham community.
The Friends operate primarily through book sales, where donated books are resold at low prices to raise funds. Those sales are a fixture of the local community calendar, drawing bargain hunters, collectors, and casual readers from across Whatcom County. Proceeds from the sales, combined with direct donations, fund a range of library initiatives that the city's base budget does not fully cover.
Programs supported by the Friends include Books for Babies, which provides new parents with reading materials to encourage early literacy; Summer Reading, the library's annual program to keep kids reading during the school break; and educational programming for children and teenagers throughout the year. These are not administrative costs. They are direct, visible services that residents encounter when they walk through the library's doors.
The Central Library Renovation Capital Campaign
Beyond annual programming, the Friends have taken on a significant role in the library's current capital campaign: the Bellingham Central Library Renovation. The Bellingham Public Library system's central branch on Centrale Avenue is aging, and the renovation project aims to modernize the building's layout, accessibility, and infrastructure.
Capital campaigns for public buildings typically require funding from multiple sources: city allocations, state grants, foundation gifts, and community fundraising. The Friends have positioned themselves as a major contributor to the community fundraising side of that equation. Every dollar raised through events like the Food Co-op benefit day goes toward reducing the gap between available public funding and the total project cost.
The Bellingham Central Library serves as the flagship branch of a system that includes the Birchwood, Fairhaven, and Barkley branches scattered across the city. A renovated central library would serve not just downtown residents and workers but also students from Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College who rely on the system for research and study space.
About the Bellingham Community Food Co-op
The Bellingham Community Food Co-op has two locations in the city. The original store is in the Lettered Streets neighborhood, and a second location opened in the Cordata area on the north end of town. Both locations will participate in the September 19 benefit day, so residents on either end of the city can participate without going out of their way.
Community benefit days are a natural fit for the Co-op's model. As a member-owned cooperative, the business is already structured around community values rather than outside shareholder returns. Partnering with a long-running volunteer organization like the Friends of the Library aligns with how the Co-op has operated since its founding in Bellingham decades ago.
For Co-op members and regular shoppers, this is a chance to turn a routine errand into something that has a direct impact on one of Bellingham's most-used public institutions. Libraries serve residents who cannot afford to buy books or pay for internet access at home, provide quiet study and work space, host community events, and offer programming that bridges age groups and backgrounds. The Friends make a portion of that possible.
How to Participate
Participation is straightforward. Visit either location of the Bellingham Community Food Co-op on Saturday, September 19, and make any purchase. The two percent contribution will be calculated automatically from total store sales that day and donated to the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library. You do not need to be a Co-op member to shop, though members do receive a discount on most purchases.
If you want to support the Friends beyond the September 19 shopping day, the organization accepts direct donations and relies on volunteers for its book sales and other events. The library's website and the Friends' own pages have more information on how to get involved. For more information on what is happening at the Bellingham Public Library this fall, check the library's event calendar, which lists programming for adults, teens, and children throughout September and October. For a look at other ways the community is supporting local institutions, see earlier coverage of local volunteer and nonprofit efforts across Whatcom County.
