The Athens-Clarke County Library opens at 2 p.m. on Sundays and is pictured in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. The library acts as a hub of resources for Athens residents including educational classes for students and kids, technological assistance for the elderly and for people experiencing homelessness to get short-term and long-term help. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Alexis Garcia, 24, from Santa Ana, California, Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, and Kellan Monroe, 27, from Ellijay, Georgia, work on organizing donations in preparation for “Bling Your Prom” at the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. This donation event is one of the largest events that the library hosts and allows high schoolers to select dresses, suits, shoes and jewelry for free. In 2022, 26.5% of families lived in poverty and events like this alleviate financial burdens for Athens families. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, speaks to first-year University of Georgia graduate student and social work intern, Alexis Garcia, 24, from Santa Ana, California, in the social work office open for patrons in the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. Stangle works with interns from the school of social work at UGA and the library is a way that interns can get hands-on and field experience with clients before graduating. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Denise Harker, 69, from Rhode Island, tries to remember her password as Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, helps her apply for housing through the Athens Housing Authority in the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Harker is experiencing homeless and with Stangle’s help, is in the process of applying for housing. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, sets up a table in the lobby of the Athens-Clarke County Library on Thursday, March 14, 2024. Stangle often sets up this table to greet library patrons and offer assistance if they are looking for resources or have questions. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
(L-R) Katie Terry, 36, from Athens, Georgia, Keir Bridges, 35, from Athens, Georgia, and Kim Hicks, 36, from Athens, Georgia, talk with Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, during a shift at the Athens-Clarke County Library on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Elise frequently connects and communicates with the rest of the library staff to coordinate programs, check in on library efforts and to just chat about the day’s events. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, takes phone calls in her office in the Athens-Clarke County Library on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Stangle calls a woman who was waiting to get approved for an apartment that Stangle helped her apply for. As the social worker in the library, Stangle works with various types of clients to connect them to community resources. (Photo/Liz Rymarev, ear81611@uga.edu) ; Elise Stangle)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia poses for a portrait in the Athens-Clarke County library on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Stangle is the library social worker and started this position three years ago after holding several different roles at the library. “I want to keep the library as a safe and friendly place for everybody to come and I want to be a welcoming face for people who might face stigma … and set an example to people who might not be used to interacting with people who are unhoused,” Stangle said. “These are also just individuals who are dealing with hard circumstances, but they’re often great people.” (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, holds two phones up to her ear to make sure she is on hold for Bigger Vision Athens in the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Bigger Vision is a non-profit community center that supports people who experience homelessness in Athens and reserves beds for them to sleep in on a day-by-day basis, but they need to call in right at 4 p.m. to reserve their spot. Stangle assists a group of people everyday, Monday through Friday in getting a place to sleep for that night. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Antonia Arellano, 66, from Callao, Peru, (middle) and Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, (right) get frustrated trying to get access to Antonia Arellano’s phone plan while Juan Arellano, 74, from Callao, Peru, (left) tries to access their phone plan on their phone in the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The Arellano’s monthly price for their phone plan went up and they could not access their account. Their plan’s price increased because the Affordable Connectivity Program, a covid-era relief program to address broadband and internet accessibility, stopped receiving budgeting from Congress in February 2024 and as a result, the program was cut. The Arellanos have to now pay more for internet access. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, watches as a group of people she helped find a place to sleep for the night at Bigger Vision leave her office in the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Stangle sees a variety of people in the library and can range from people experiencing homelessness to older adults who need help with their technology or phones. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, works on her laptop after seeing several clients throughout the day at the Athens-Clarke Regional Library in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Stangle works all day to connect people to resources in the Athens community and in her role, she acts as a broker of those resources in the social worker-client relationship. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
Elise Stangle, 39, from Athens, Georgia, reaches for her car door in the Athens-Clarke County Library parking lot in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. As a social worker, Stangle spends many hours building relationships and rapport with people that come to the library and works tirelessly to ensure a better quality of life for all types of people by listening and offering guidance to problems they face. (Photo/Liz Rymarev)
