Volunteers Give Children's Area a Makeover

Alyssa Weese and the other volunteers from Selman gave our Children's Department a fun and brightly colored makeover Friday morning.

Sue Manning smiled as she looked at the fresh layer of robin's-egg blue paint in the Children's Section of the Mentor Public Library.

"I love it," she said. "My granddaughter is four. I can't wait to bring her up here and say, 'This is what grandma did.'"

Manning is just one of more than a dozen volunteers from Selman & Company, a third-party insurance administrator and marketer, that gave MPL's children's section a makeover Friday morning.

They painted the second floor of our library's main branch in vibrant blues, yellows and greens. And they did it all from the goodness of their hearts.

Gary Sheplavy helps brighten the children's department.

Selman volunteers repainted our Children's Department as part of their Annual Volunteer Day, and they helped more than Mentor Public Library. They volunteered at other nonprofits in Northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Deepwood Facility, Lake MetroParks and PAWSibilities.

"David Selman (the president of Selman & Co.,) he wants his company to give back," Manning said. "That's how our company is."

Erin Sheplavy stretches to reach the framing around our carousel.

Manning said she would be back at the library soon—and not just to show off her painting to her granddaughter.

"The library means a lot me," she said. "I'm an avid reader."

Everyone at Mentor Library can't thank the Selman volunteers enough for their kindness, help and consideration. We love the new look in our Children's Area, and we hope the kids and parents love it too!

We also have one more thank you to bestow. Thanks to all of our patrons who were so understanding that our Children's Area was closed Friday morning. Kids and books are a great combination. Kids, books and paint—well, that can get messy.

Blue Mordini smiles as she paints Friday morning.