The Merry Barn Writers’ Retreat is thrilled and grateful to receive a donation from First National Bank. One of the most important things we can do to support our community is to provide access and engagement with literacy. First National’s generous donation supports this mission. Funding will be allocated to our Community Literacy Events, and to scholarships for our Summer Writing Adventures, making both offerings widely available and sustainable.  

Our Community Literacy events are free monthly gatherings open to everyone interested in exploring their own creativity. With the tagline Read! Write! & Create!, these events bring together multiple generations and backgrounds, uniting our beloved community through creativity and literacy. Each month we explore art, nature, traditions across cultures, and books from diverse authors.

Our summer camps help children playfully discover a love of words, and tap into their individual creativity. Every week-long camp explores a unique theme – from magical creatures, to stories from around the world, change makers, or graphic novels. Every day includes sketching, writing, art, music, yoga, mindfulness, performance, and reading books from our extensive library. 

At the Merry Barn we believe creativity and literacy are human rights. Kids do not need to be skilled writers to partake in any event or camp. As the founder, Stephanie McSherry so eloquently says, 

“We need to make sure that kids understand that reading and writing are not just school things, they are life things. They are about how we express ourselves, about how we understand the world, how we make connections with each other, how we grow our knowledge, and how we make this world a better place.” 

We strive to make the world a better place, and are so thankful for the support of First National Bank in furthering this mission.