(Lawrenceville, Ga., May 28, 2015) – Members of the Gwinnett County Executive Competence, Excellence and Leadership (EXCEL) management development program are hosting a dedication ceremony for a Little Free Library that has been installed at the Rich Martin Community located at 160 Ezzard Street in Lawrenceville, on Friday, May 29, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. The 20 EXCEL participants, who are Gwinnett County Government managers and supervisors, partnered with the Lawrenceville Housing Authority to build and install the Little Free Library in addition to an outdoor bench for the children residing in the Rich Martin Community to enjoy.

In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by to pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share. In January 2015, the total number of registered Little Free Libraries in the world was estimated to be nearly 25,000, with thousands more being built.

The Lawrenceville Housing Authority was established in 1950 and was funded through the Housing Act of 1937 for the purpose of providing decent, safe and sanitary housing to the low-income citizens of Lawrenceville and the surrounding areas. Since its establishment, LHA has developed nine housing sites with a total of 212 public housing units. The Rich Martin Community is one of the sites established and maintained by the Lawrenceville Housing Authority.

“We believe that books are an essential part of a child’s early learning development,” said project spokesperson Sally Sherrington. “Through this project, the 2015 EXCEL class hopes to bring books to children who may not have access to a library, computer or the Internet.”

Community response to the project has been generous. Lowes of Suwanee, Luxury Landscape of Lawrenceville and The First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville have all helped bring the vision to life with donated materials and lunches for the children on the day of the dedication.

EXCEL is a comprehensive, 153-hour management development program conducted by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. EXCEL class members traditionally complete a service learning project that helps participants develop leadership and team building skills while solving real-life issues outside the office. In addition to the installation of the Little Free Library and bench, the class will serve lunch and provide activities for the children in the Rich Martin community.