Want to help your community? Visit your local library!

Libraries remain the hub of their communities, and one way they are serving neighbors is by coordinating efforts to help those in need.

As part of the Great Give Back — a community service program started in Suffolk County and now offered throughout the state — many Nassau County libraries are helping their communities by initiating service projects throughout October.

The program started in 2017 when the Suffolk County Public Library Directors Association and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System sought a way to help communities. The program soon spread throughout the state and last year, 299 New York libraries participated and more than 27,000 items were collected and donated.

“A few colleagues and myself wanted to create an event in Suffolk County that brought positivity to our communities and showed that libraries are a central hub for giving back and creating good,” said Derek Ivie, youth services coordinator of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System.

Nassau libraries have offered hundreds of service-oriented projects, including food and pet supply drives and clean-ups of parks, according to Renee McGrath, manager of youth services for the Nassau Library System.

“The Great Give Back enables our member libraries to offer their patrons an opportunity to participate in a day of service-oriented projects,” McGrath said.

This year’s event will take place on Oct. 21, but many libraries are offering projects throughout October. Dozens of Nassau libraries are participating, including East Rockaway, Malverne, Lakeview, West Hempstead and Lynbrook.

In Lynbrook, neighbors can donate Halloween costumes and books to help those in need. Library director Robyn Gilloon said the idea was to help children be able to enjoy an American tradition.

“When a parent says, ‘If it weren’t for this, my kid wouldn’t have a Halloween costume,’ that’s when you realize this is the right thing to do,” Gilloon said. “This is a great giveback for the community.”

Lynbrook will collect Halloween costumes and books for children throughout the month. The library’s website has a detailed list of the days that items could be donated. Anyone who needs a Halloween costume or book can simply stop by the library.

The East Rockaway Public Library is collecting new, unused socks, unopened hygiene products and non-perishable food. Adult services librarian Heather Massa said the library hopes to provide much-needed items in the months when people don’t typically donate.

“When do people give? They give in November and December,” Massa said. “Donations are typically low in September and October, so we do a food drive in those months.”

Massa added that personal hygiene products — like diapers, menstrual pads and razors — are not covered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“People who are struggling have to pay for these items,” Massa said.

The East Rockaway library will donate the items to the Mary Brennan INN, a Long Island non-profit that helps the hungry and homeless. Massa said that each year, the library collects enough items to fill up her Jeep.

“It’s a really cool event and makes me happy that we can use our public place to collect items,” Massa said. “East Rockaway comes through pretty great for us.”

For each local library, giving back means something different, which adds to the effectiveness of the countywide program. In Malverne, the library is collecting items to send care packages to deployed troops, veterans, wounded heroes and first-responders through Operation Gratitude. The library is encouraging children to make cards to show appreciation.

“Kids are going to make cards to show gratitude to those who served or are currently serving,” Carol Lagos, director of the Malverne Public Library, said.

Malverne is collecting puzzle books, card games and other new items in their original packaging. Donations can be dropped off during library hours, from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3. Donation boxes have been set up in the front lobby. Lagos said community service hours will be awarded to those who participate.

The West Hempstead Public Library is hosting the Town of Hempstead’s Mobile Adoption Unit on Oct. 21, from noon to 3 p.m. Neighbors can see some cute and cuddly animals up for adoption, and learn more about the town’s programs.

“We wanted to try something different,” Cindy Hosang, head of programming for the West Hempstead library, said. “People can adopt or talk to someone about other adopts the town has. The town will be here with a whole bunch of information.”

Hosang said adoption literature will be available at the library after the event, if anyone wants to find out more but is unable to attend the event.

The Lakeview Public Library is collecting items and making cards for children and teens in foster care and for hospitalized children. The library is collecting toiletries for foster kids and teens, and making cards during children and teens’ craft time, through Oct. 31.