Caption (L–R): Heather Kale, Vice President, Board of Trustees, Gloria Coles Flint Public Library; Brenda Harris, Inaugural Story Keeper Award Honoree; Grace Tucker, 2025 Story Keeper Award Honoree; Jane Worthing, Title Sponsor, Learn for Life (The Genesee Group). Photo courtesy of the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library
Flint, MI – The Gloria Coles Flint Public Library welcomed community leaders, educators and neighbors on September 15 for its annual Learn for Life fundraising breakfast. This year’s gathering carried special significance with the launch of the Brenda Harris Story Keeper Award.
The award was created to honor the legacy of Brenda Harris, a beloved storyteller whose words have carried Flint’s history, resilience and spirit across generations. Harris was recognized as the inaugural honoree, marking her as the very first recipient of the award that bears her name.
In addition, the Library proudly named Grace Tucker as the 2025 Brenda Harris Story Keeper Award recipient, celebrating her commitment to passing on community stories and nurturing intergenerational connection.
“Stories are how we remember where we’ve been and how we imagine where we’re going,” Harris reflected.
The program opened with a calming mindfulness moment led by Terance Green of Black Amor, inviting guests to pause and center themselves before the morning unfolded. Later, homeschool mom and pastor Janay Pasha shared heartfelt reflections on the transformative power of lifelong learning, weaving together faith, education and the strength of families.
Together, these voices framed the breakfast as more than an annual event. It was a reminder that the Library is not only a hub for books and resources, but a place where history is honored, voices are amplified and new stories are written every day.
The Learn for Life breakfast reaffirmed the Library’s enduring commitment: to nurture learners, preserve community voices, and inspire the storytellers of tomorrow.
Donations to the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library can be made online at www.fpl.info/about/donate-now. Every gift helps sustain programs that empower learners of all ages and preserve the stories that make the community strong.
