McKoys of Ada Foundation

New Circulation Desk for the Ada Public Library (2012)

admin — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:26:00 +0000

We recently provided the funding for a new — and very nice — circulation desk for the Ada Public Library. The desk was designed by Dale Jackson, of Ada’s own Sooner Millworks, and Jennifer Greenstreet, head librarian, with lots of input from the rest of the library staff. Sooner Millworks built and installed it. Buck Creek Granite and Flooring provided the granite top. Funds were administered through Ada Library Friends.

Work on this project has actually been going on for a year or so. We participated actively in the project, particularly in selecting the vendor. We looked at the work done by several cabinetmakers who were being considered for the project, and found that cabinets produced by Sooner Millworks were of much higher quality, and well worth the higher cost.

The new circulation desk has been getting good reviews by librarians and library patrons alike.

The Ada News published an article about this work.

Furniture & Equipment for Boys & Girls Teen Room (2012)

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:42:47 +0000

We were approached early in 2012 by the Boys & Girls Club of Ada, who had an urgent need. They had been working on the creation of a new Teen Room, but didn’t have funding for the furnishings and equipment, such as televisions and computers. We had been planning to do another project of about this size with them this year, anyway, and we really liked this one. So do the kids according to the rumors we’re hearing.

Our 2011 Grants

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:49:48 +0000

In 2011, we made grants to these charities:

Ada Area Community Emergency Services
Ada Regional United Way
Ada Senior Care Center
Family Crisis Center
Meals on Wheels
Pontotoc County Historical and Genealogical Society

In addition, we funded special projects with:

Boys & Girls Club of Ada

Colors & Lights at the Boys & Girls Club (2011)

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:17:49 +0000

In 2011, the Boys & Girls Club asked us to fund a sort of miscellaneous project. We bought new lighting for the gym, and we bought paint. Lots and lots of paint.

With lots and lots of labor, the staff and many volunteers turned this paint into a fresh new look for pretty much the whole building. We think it really feels like a place folks would want to be now.

Out 2010 Grants

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:47:13 +0000

In 2010, we made grants to these charities:

Ada Regional United Way
Ada Senior Care Center
Family Crisis Center
Meals on Wheels
Pontotoc County Historical and Genealogical Society

In addition, we funded special projects with:

Gym Padding for the Boys & Girls Club (2010)

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:51:35 +0000

We were very pleased with our 2009 project for the Boys & Girls Club of Ada, and offered to do another for 2010. The number one need on their list for the year was padding for their gym, and we were pleased to provide the funding for that.

Prior to the addition of the padding, the walls were fairly hazardous, with a hard contact surface and even some sharp metal edges in places. It’s safer and more pleasant and usable now. We also like the new look.

Additional Furniture in Library Reading Room (2010)

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:36:48 +0000

We did a small project with the Ada Public Library in 2010, adding some tables and ottomans to the reading room we furnished in 2009.

In practice, the furniture isn’t bunched up as it is in the photo above, but this does show the pieces we’ve provided.

Boys & Girls Club Game Room (2009)

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:14:09 +0000

In looking around Ada for worthwhile places in which our special projects might really make a different, we quickly settled on the Boys and Girls Club of Ada as a good candidate.

Our first project there, in 2009, was to equip the game room. We provided funding for refurbishment of pool tables and other equipment, and to purchase some new game tables.

This room sees a lot of use, and we’ve enjoyed seeing the benefits of this project.

Our 2009 Grants

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:45:29 +0000

In 2009, we made grants to these charities:

Ada Regional United Way
Ada Senior Care Center
Family Crisis Center
Meals on Wheels
Pontotoc County Historical and Genealogical Society

In addition, we funded special projects with:

Ada Public Library Lounge and Reading Area

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:48:04 +0000

We approached Jennifer Greenstreet, the director of the Ada Public Library, to see what projects she thought might benefit the library. She came up with a short list of things for us to consider, and we decided to fund new furniture for the front lounge area. This is an area where people often just sit and read, or bring their laptops for on-line sessions using the library’s wi-fi. Although our little camera wouldn’t capture the whole area in one photo, here’s an idea of what it looked like before:

We shared Jennifer’s enthusiasm for areas of comfortable seating in the library, and could see how much more pleasant the library might be with improvements in this area. We purchased eight very comfortable chairs for use here, and that has in turn provided the impetus for some other improvements to the lounge area using funds from other sources.
Here’s as much of the newly furnished area as our little camera would capture in one photo:

And here’s Jennifer, in one of the new chairs:

For our special projects, we’re inclined to do things that will benefit the institution we support, but which might not have fit readily within their regular budget, and this was clearly such a project. While we might choose to do more work in connection with this project, we have no sense of ownership, and would be pleased if others chose to further develop the lounge.