Category: projects

Souper Cookbook Recipes

We Need Your Recipes!

Have you shared a delicious soup at one of our Souper Celebrations? Many folks have been asking for the recipes behind those amazing flavors — and we’re answering the call!

We are excited to announce that we will be putting together a Souper Celebration Cookbook featuring the incredible soups donated by our talented local residents and businesses. From seafood gumbos and rich bisques to hearty chuck wagon chili, Brunswick stew, and more, our past Souper Celebrations have served up a dozen different soups — exotic, healthy, and old-fashioned favorites alike.

If you donated a soup at a recent Souper Celebration, we would love for you to share your recipe! Please send your soup recipe to us so we can include it in the cookbook and help keep the "souper" spirit going strong. Thank you for being part of this wonderful tradition and for helping us create something delicious for everyone to enjoy!

Please provide your recipe below or email it to ffcplflorida@gmail.com. Or drop off the written recipes to the Eastpoint or Carrabelle branches. 

DONATE FUNDS TO FUND LIBRARY PROGRAMS, EVENTS AND MORE!

The Souper Celebrations continue a legacy started by Jackie Gay back in 1998. In 1998, Jackie Gay, who was an avid supporter of the library, entered her delicious gumbo into the Newman's Own and Good Housekeeping Recipe Contest. She won and was presented a check by Paul Newman for $50,000. She donated the proceeds to building the Carrabelle library. Today community volunteers honor Jackie Gay and continue her tradition by providing their own gumbos, soups, and chili to raise funds in support of the Franklin County libraries.

 

The community’s help is needed more than ever. Previously the "Rock by the Sea" event provided significant funding for the Franklin County library programs. This event has now relocated to Destin and will no longer be supporting local programs in Franklin County. More than ever, donations of soups and baked good from individuals and businesses as well as event sponsors are needed to offset this significant loss of funding. A sign-up form for soup, bread, and baked goods is available above or sign-up sheets will be in the Eastpoint and Carrabelle libraries. This funding supports library programs like the Summer Reading Program, Storytimes, ANIME Club, Book Chats, Lego Club and more. In addition, the Eastpoint library building is maintained by the Friends with a portion of the cost offset by funding from Franklin County government. The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries is a 501(c)(3) organization and most donations are tax-deductible.

Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council. For more information or to make a donation, please contact the Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries at ffcplflorida@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/ffcplfl.

PROJECTS

EASTPOINT LIBRARY GROUNDS

The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries have embarked on a beautification project on the Eastpoint Library grounds. This has involved clearing the land and making it ready to build a Gazebo and walkway.

First, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this project. We have been able to accomplish the following:

  1.  The area behind the library has been thinned and cleared. A company was hired to cut away the undesirable trees and bushhog the underbrush, almost all the way to East Bayshore Drive.
  2.  The invasive Chinese Tallow has been eradicated. We noticed a patch and enlisted Cait Snyder from Apalachicola National Estuary Research Reserve (ANERR) to provide expertise. She walked the area and didn't find any other patches or invasive plants (or snakes!). The tallow were treated and are completely gone.
  3.  Four picnic tables have been purchased. Although they are currently in spots at the sides of the library, we will likely move one or some of them to the back when the project is further along.
  4.  The back of the library building has been pressure cleaned. The back receives the most shade and was ugly and detracting from our vision of the beautification we seek!
  5.  A wildflower grant was reviewed. A library patron dropped by a Florida Wildflower Foundation application. The grant specified that the wildflowers had to be planted in a heavily trafficked area, which the back of the library isn't at this time. Also, we had hoped for major involvement from the Master Gardeners who aren't currently available. The grant has been offered for several years and we may look at it again as we get further along.
  6.  The gazebo/pavilion was installed and the walkway completed!

This gazebo and walkway is the result of a process that was dreamed and drawn when the Eastpoint library was first built six years ago. The dream was and is to provide beautification projects to complement the library building. This large project was able to happen thanks to a generous bequest. Future plans for the library grounds include more trails. The Friends is excited to provide this outdoor component that will help to fulfill the mission of access to information and education in an outside setting.