Special to IFN

The Iredell County Public Library has been awarded a $15,525 Library Services and Technology Act grant from the State Library of North Carolina.

This funding will be used to purchase a Charlie Cart — a fully equipped mobile kitchen designed to support culinary literacy, hands-on learning, and community engagement.

Through the addition of the Charlie Cart, the library will be able to offer accessible cooking and nutrition programs for patrons of all ages at the Statesville library. With this teaching kitchen, the library aims to provide engaging workshops that focus on healthy eating, food preparation skills, and sustainability.

“The Charlie Cart will be a game-changer in how we approach community education and allow us to serve everyone from young children learning basic cooking skills to adults interested in nutrition, food security, and sustainable practices,” Library Director Juli Moore said.

Aligning with the library’s mission to Support, Empower, and Educate the residents of Iredell County, the new Charlie Cart will offer programs in conjunction with this goal. Planned offerings include youth and family cooking workshops, programs detailing how to incorporate homegrown food from ICPL’s Seed Library into meals, and collaboration with the Iredell County Cooperative Extension.

Funding for the grant is made possible by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), which is administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. LSTA grants are federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services that support libraries in improving services and access for all residents.

LEARN MORE

For more information about upcoming programs or the Charlie Cart initiative, visit https://iredell.lib.nc.us or follow the Iredell County Public Library on social media at @iredelllibrary.