This story was submitted as a nomination to the Reader’s Digest “Top 10 Nicest Places in America” contest: a crowd-sourced effort to uncover corners of the country where people are still kind and respectful in an era of cultural and political divides. If you know of a community, business, or nonprofit where kindness prevails, then be sure to submit a testimony or anecdote here before the June 5th deadline. (GNN will be one of the judges!)
The Enoch Pratt Free Library is a haven in the city of Baltimore, Maryland.
With 22 locations across the city, the library provides vital services, information, and opportunities to all. Where else can a homeless person, a mother with a child, a business executive, or the mayor walk in and all be treated equally?
The Pratt is a place where civil discourse happens. Librarians are trusted by the community and turned to for help. The Pratt helps people be their best selves.
Stories About Enoch Pratt Free Library
If you go around Baltimore, nearly everyone has a Pratt story. This year, “Social Worker in the Library” was launched to help connect people to the social services they need without ever having to leave the library.
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One of the social workers was able to help a gentlemen begin to learn how to read. He stood up during a group session and told everyone for the first time that he was able to pay a bill on time because he could read what the bill said. He then proceeded to read aloud from a children’s story book. There was not a dry eye in the house.
Another program that’s expanding at the Pratt is “Lawyer in the Library.” Attorneys provide free legal aid to community members for things like expungements. One woman came in with her young daughter and was shocked to realize in…
