Aryn Henning Nichols

Mary Mulvaney-Kemp

If you’re ever heading down a road in Vernon County, Wisconsin, you might see a large, red and white van, emblazoned with the words “Building Community Through Literacy”– that’s RedLou Library, Viroqua’s very own mobile library. In the driver’s seat, you’ll likely find Mary Mulvaney-Kemp, founder and president of RedLou Inc., on her way to distribute a variety of books to interested folks, both young and old.

Mary Mulvaney-Kemp. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library

“We work to reach those that are underserved or have difficulty getting to brick-and-mortar libraries,” explains Mary. 

RedLou serves the elderly population living in area facilities, many of whom have limited mobility and barriers to transportation. They help get books into the hands of the workforce at Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center (VARC), which supports individuals with disabilities in achieving their fullest potential and enhancing their quality of life. And, of course, they serve kids and parents living and working in Vernon County.

“A two-year-old can’t get to the library on their own. Parents are super busy,” Mary says. “We can make their life a little less hectic by providing books at their child’s daycare. Hopefully this can free up a few extra minutes in their week to read to their child.” 

This can be especially important during summer break. Mary, who worked as a reading specialist for Viroqua Area Schools and later as the youth services director at McIntosh Memorial Library in Viroqua, often observed that children would return to school in the fall with declined reading skills – something so common, it even has a name: the summer slide.   

“I wanted to limit this by providing literacy opportunities for children in various places throughout the district in the summer,” she says. While this idea never got off the ground during her career working with kids, Mary knew it was never too late. “20 years later I started my dream.”

RedLou Library – named to honor Mary’s parents (Virgil “Red” and Louise Mulvaney) –became operational in late 2021. The RedLou seed money came from a sum left for Mary by her mother, who passed away in 2019. After Mary retired from the library in 2020, she started creating plans to make her mobile library a reality. 

The first step was securing an extended length transit van with a high roof – which turned out to be a difficult endeavor in early 2021 during the pandemic. But eventually, with the help of local dealership Sleepy Hollow Ford, a suitable vehicle was found, and the van began its transformation into a mobile library. 

Mary worked with Abrahamson Body and Equipment Service in Manaway, Wisconsin, to upfit the cargo area into a space for the library, including adjustable shelves (installed at an angle to prevent books from falling), rolling carts that are secured with retention straps while on the move, a circulation desk, swiveling driver’s seat, and an electric lift for easy cart loading and unloading. 

Acquiring books and funding were next on RedLou’s starting journey, as the mobile library is a 501(c)(3) and is funded entirely through donations and grants. 

“Many individuals, local businesses, the Bigley Foundation, and Viroqua Area Foundation provided donations of time, money, or other forms of assistance,” says Mary. “Step by step, everything fell into place.”   

The van is retrofitted with shelves installed at an angle and rolling carts that are secured while on 
the move. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library

That first year, RedLou Library used paper check-out cards with a stamped due date in a card pocket in the back of the books, with additional record keeping happening when Mary got home. It was an arduous, time-consuming process. For RedLou Library’s second year, a license to use an online library program was purchased. 

“The program provides several features, including: an automated process to check books in/out, a database that patrons can browse and put books on hold, and a means to automatically notify patrons of important information,” explains Mary. “Most significantly, I had more time to serve more people.”

Mary serves as president of the RedLou non-profit board, along with her husband / vice-president/secretary, Chuck Mulvaney-Kemp, and finance officer Mike Brendel. But there are many others who keep the mobile library rolling as well. 

“We have boots on the ground volunteers who help at the various sites we serve,” explains Mary. “Other volunteers help with processing books, assisting with fundraisers, providing ideas, and the list goes on. Several high school students volunteer during the summer. Support has been fantastic, nearly overwhelming, at times. All our volunteers are invaluable.” 

At the start of 2022, RedLou Library was serving sites in Viroqua only, but it expanded into the neighboring communities of Westby and La Farge by the end of that year. In 2023, RedLou Library served 13 sites year-round and 17 sites throughout the summer. In 2024, there were 15 sites year-round and 22 through summer. The number of items circulated through RedLou Library continues to increase each year, too – starting with 10,989 items in 2022, growing to 19,051 in 2023, and 24,041 in 2024. Plus, there are no late fees or fines for wear and tear to their materials. 

“Things happen,” says Mary. “That’s okay; we want our books in the hands and homes of our patrons, not on our shelves.” 

One of RedLou’s most recent endeavors has been establishing branch libraries at daycare centers in western and northwestern Vernon County, serviced every 4-6 weeks, depending on need.

“We talk with the staff to learn how we can best serve their children and then proceed to implement a plan,” explains Mary. “We purchase the books, bins, and shelving and provide training for using the circulation software as needed. Books are rotated on a scheduled basis.”

The RedLou van serves many different sites throughout Vernon County, WI

These additional branch library sites have helped RedLou reach even more Vernon County children in 2025.

“Recently, I received a message from a teacher at one of our new service locations,” says Mary. “It stated, ‘The kids are really enjoying your library. Do you know the joy RedLou is bringing to this crazy world? I hope you do.’”

Though it is not affiliated with any public library or school, Mary notes that RedLou Library aims to provide services that expand on already existing literary opportunities. 

“We are not trying to replace public libraries or school libraries. Those libraries do an excellent job,” says Mary. “When we don’t have a book someone wants, I usually respond by saying, ‘The public library will be able to get it for you. Can I help you sign up for a card?’”

No matter the road needed to get there, RedLou Library is proud to help provide folks with literacy services that might otherwise be out of reach. 

“It is especially important to help young children perceive themselves as readers when they are very young and certainly before they are school age,” says Mary. “Toddlers can interpret pictures, which is the first step toward reading words. We believe that if children enter school with a love of books, they will be eager to learn to be a word reader. Being a strong reader helps ensure school success. This can change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

Tallitha Reese


Tallitha Reese is a freelance writer and content manager based in Cashton, WI. She owns Words By Reese and you can find out more about her and her work at www.wordsbyreese.com

Community events and weekly evening service sites are also added to RedLou’s summer schedule. A calendar of planned stops for RedLou Library, a fundraising and events list, and information about how you can get involved can be found at redlou.org or by contacting Mary Mulvaney-Kemp at redlouinc@gmail.com. 

Phil & Heidi Dybing

“Community” and “communication” are related. First cousins, at least. And you really can’t have the first without the second.

Phil and Heidi Dybing live in and love the community of Lanesboro, Minnesota. They also understand the communication it takes to keep it all happening. 

Phil and Heidi Dybing were regulars at “Over the Back Fence,” Lanesboro’s local radio show that ran for 25 years. / Photo by Sue Harris

“We both grew up here,” says Phil. He and Heidi met as teens, building a friendship (at the former Harmony, Minnesota roller rink), a romance, and a 50-year marriage. After living in a number of different communities, they returned to their starting place in 1992, three kids in tow. “Now we want to do what we can to make it an even better place to live and raise families,” Phil continues. “We want to see new people move here and enjoy all this community has to offer.”

They bought a farm, built a new home, and re-connected with their hometown – a special place with lots going on. “I call it a college town without a college,” says Heidi. 

But like many small, rural towns in the Midwest, there was a communication problem. 

“We lost our local newspapers, and it was harder for people to be aware of what was going on around town,” Heidi says. “There were lots of fun things happening here that I didn’t want my friends to miss. We wanted to do something to help fix that.”

Heidi, with Phil’s support, started sending out a weekly group email in 2018 containing information about concerts and theater performances, important meetings, special events – the kinds of activities people want to know about and may want to participate in. She called it “Happenings.” Most people in town simply call it “Heidi’s List.”

“I keep it brief,” she says. “I find out what’s going on each week and pass it along. People send me items, too, or ask if they can ‘use’ the list to communicate something to the wider community. That works, too.”


Above, a sample “Happenings” email from this past spring.

Is it working? Here’s one indication: Lanesboro’s current population is 724. The number of people on Heidi’s List is currently 355. And growing.

“The list is mainly locals, of course, but includes others, too, even a few people from Texas, who want to keep in touch. People like to know what’s going on where they live or in a place they care about. They want to stay connected.”

Staying connected in communities, especially in smaller, rural towns, has become increasingly difficult in recent times, while people’s desire to know what’s happening in their world has remained strong.

“I was at a meeting in town the other day,” says Heidi, “where 90 percent of the people there had come because they read about it in Happenings.”

And a lot of times, Phil and Heidi are involved in the actual happenings happening. They were both regulars in “Over the Back Fence,” a long-running, locally produced radio show. Phil’s sound-work and announcing skills have supported scores of performances at the St. Mane Theater and local festivals, and he’s been the long-time tech guy for the Rutabaga Brothers band.

Heidi, a gifted pianist, has been a substitute church musician in the area. She’s also a skilled seamstress, creating costumes for the Commonweal Theater, Lanesboro Community Theater, and History Alive Lanesboro. She organizes daily volunteers to serve and deliver senior meals, and is a cheerleader for big potlucks, including an everyone-is-welcome Thanksgiving feast.

Phil got involved in city economic development and housing initiatives and recently organized “T.O.T.E.M. (Two or Three Elderly Men) Construction” to tackle home renovations hands-on. 

Phil and Heidi together also provide leadership to “Discovery,” a Sunday morning fellowship group.

There was also another group email produced by the Dybings that had a lasting impact.

“So many people felt isolated and disconnected during the covid pandemic,” remembers Heidi. “We wondered what might help and came up with an idea to share music. We created piano instrumentals – me playing, Phil recording – and emailed them out to people each Saturday afternoon. We did that for 57 weeks in a row. People told us later that it became kind of a weekly ritual around their dinner table or wherever to listen to that music. It helped people connect.”

Phil agrees. “We still have people coming up to us saying how much that music meant to them during that time.”

The “team” behind the creation of the new Lanesboro Market: (left to right) Peter and Cyntia Ruen; Todd and Susan Readinger; Heidi and Phil Dybing. / Photo by Cyan Ruen

The two help others build community as well. In 2014, Phil and Heidi started and operated a corner grocery story in Lanesboro called “Beste Byen” (Norwegian for “good town”) that successfully served residents and visitors for several years. While the business later changed hands and eventually sold, Phil and Heidi were excited to offer behind-the-scenes consulting support, and more than a little hands-on labor, to help a new grocery store called the “Lanesboro Market” open in spring 2025.

“Grocery stores in rural towns across the Midwest, like newspapers, are also disappearing,” says Phil. “But we need them. A family-run store provides convenient, healthy food for people, an outlet for locally-sourced goods, income for its owners, and a gathering place to talk with your neighbors and meet new people. All good things.”

Heidi happily enjoys the good things in her hometown and loves to promote all it has to offer. “Lanesboro has a wonderful blend of people, with a livability and walkability that makes it easy to connect with others. That can be a problem on days you’re in a hurry, though. A quick walk to the bank takes an hour-and-a-half because of all the visiting,” she says with a laugh. “We also have absolutely amazing artists and arts here, the Commonweal Theater and so much more. We love living here and being a part of it.”

Steve Harris


Steve Harris, a faithful reader of “Happenings,” lives in Lanesboro where he’s a freelance writer (steveharrisauthor.com) who can be reached at sharris1962@msn.com.

If you’d like to be added to “Heidi’s List,” she welcomes you to contact her at heididybing55@gmail.com.

Mental Health Insights for Cultivating an Abundant Life

Sources of abundance surround us in summer. Prairies are infused with colorful wildflowers in bloom. Rivers and waterfalls flow through lush green landscapes. The sound of chirping birds permeates the air. Seemingly endless days of sunshine offer ample opportunities for delight. 

According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word abundance means having “more than enough.” Our capacity to experience abundance, then, is only limited by what we consider enough. 

We can seek abundance in the material world, of course, but our potential for abundance expands when we look for it in connection with others, nature, and meaningful experiences. There are, simply put, abundant ways to find abundance in all things, little or big. 

Yet, we cannot (and should not) attempt to capitalize on every opportunity extended our way. The fact remains that our time, energy, and resources are limited. Too much of anything (even a good thing) can lead to feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and exhaustion. Abundance without limits leads to excess and extremes.

We can take a lesson directly from the seasons. Nature teaches us that abundance is more circular than constant. Summer, the season of abundance and growth, is followed by autumn, a season of harvest and decay. When life is abundant, we can relish in the joy, nourishment, and generosity that springs forth. When that wanes, we can practice gratitude for what remains. If we trust in the seasons, we know abundance will come again.   

Image: Shutterstock

Abundance vs. Scarcity 

We are not all conditioned to seek out (or notice) sources of abundance. In fact, our life experiences may have primed us to notice the opposite – scarcity. 

Scarcity is defined as “lack” or “situations in which something is not easy to find or get.” 

A scarcity mindset can feel like a lifetime of winter – when resources, opportunities, and second chances are few and far between. Endless winter can create a “survival of the fittest” mentality. It’s only natural that when we feel resources are scarce, we fight to obtain them. 

This can lead us to hoard any resources we are given because we believe those resources are finite. If the choice is between sharing and starving, few will choose to starve.  

A scarcity mindset can also breed jealousy, making us believe that another person’s prosperity is our demise, or that their needs are getting met at the expense of our own. When we believe opportunities are limited, we may act outside of our values to obtain success. We may lie, cheat, and steal if we believe we’ve only got one chance to win. 

On the flip side, people with an abundance mindset believe life is filled with ample opportunities for success, growth, and connection. We are not blind to failure or setbacks. The difference is, when something does not work out, people with an abundance mindset know that another chance is just around the corner. We see hard times as an opportunity to learn. 

An abundance mindset also allows us to be more generous with our resources. We share what we have in excess, knowing it will come back around to us. We do not need to compete with others. We can celebrate their wins, knowing their success does not mean our failure. 

Abundance and Generosity

Unfortunately, we do not live in a society where everyone is given equal access to resources and opportunities. In truth, many people face real inequities based on race, gender, sex, class, sexual orientation, and more. And being born into scarcity can be a difficult pattern to break.

When we find ourselves in a season of abundance, it can be helpful – to ourselves and society – to lean into generosity. Having access to anything in abundance allows us to share, and oftentimes, generosity can lead to a greater abundance. For example, if we volunteer our time, it comes back to us in gratitude. If we share our resources, it can enhance our sense of purpose. When we give freely to others, our sense of community and connection grows. 

Think about areas of your life where you have more than you need. It could be time, resources, energy, or insight. How can you share that with others? How might that impact your passion and purpose in life?

Image: Shutterstock

Abundance vs. Accumulation 

Abundance without generosity can lead to accumulation or excess. Hoarding too much stuff overwhelms our physical space. Overfilling our schedules leaves us unconnected and exhausted. There really can be too much of a good thing.

In a world of endless options, we need boundaries. We must know when and how to say “no.” As difficult as it may be, boundaries free us up to say “yes” to things that truly make us feel abundant. 

We cannot accept abundant opportunities when we do not have space for them, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We need to leave room in our lives for abundance to flow through. 

When we free ourselves from excess, we can appreciate the little things. We have time to sit, listen, and play. We have the capacity to connect with the people around us and nurture our most important relationships. We can mindfully embrace our current abundance and foster the chance for more.

Abundance Glimmers

Another way we can cultivate an abundance mindset is by looking for abundance glimmers. 

Abundance glimmers are little sources of joy, positivity, optimism, gratitude, or generosity that exist all around us. They are small moments we might otherwise take for granted. They are reminders that we have more than enough. 

Glimmers can be simple: Working in a garden, stopping to appreciate a view, or listening to music. A favorite drink or meal from a restaurant. Fresh sheets, open windows, or fluffy towels. An entire day off from work. Sometimes glimmers come from others, too, like when a child draws us a picture, a stranger gives us a compliment, or a loved one offers to help with something we need. 

Everyone is going to have different sources of abundance. What makes you feel abundant? Take a moment to ponder that question.

Image: Shutterstock

Finding Balance in Abundance   

As with all areas of life, we feel best when we achieve a sense of balance. When we have abundance in one area of life, but feel scarcity in another, how can we find greater balance? Perhaps, we can transfer resources from an area of excess, into another area that’s lacking. 

Try making a Wheel of Life in the worksheet following this article to help visualize different aspects of your life, like your health, social and home settings, entertainment, and more. Consider areas that feel unbalanced. 

For example, if endless career opportunities have been afforded to you, but they limit opportunities for fun and recreation, maybe it’s time to hire an assistant or think about bringing on an intern to mentor in your field. Or if finances are abundant, maybe you can spare some money to improve your health or physical environment. 

Get creative as you approach greater balance, and therefore, more meaningful abundance. 

Abundance for Life 

Each of us has a different idea of abundance. Thinking about things that make us feel abundant, looking for abundance glimmers, and considering areas where we have abundance to share can lead to a more fulfilling life.

When we encounter setbacks, we can lean into sources of support in the community around us. Remember that seeking the help of a licensed therapist can be another source of support. Knowing when to ask for help is an important part of creating a balanced life. 

When we rely on others, it may feel like we have nothing to offer in exchange. However, no matter who you are, you have something to offer. Your presence is often more than enough. 

An abundant life does not mean that everything is always overflowing. It does not even mean that life is easy or smooth. Instead, we can learn to look for sources of abundance in the simplicity of a mindful life. We can cultivate moments of abundance by being more present with others and grateful for what we have. When life gives us seasons of abundance, we can enhance the experience by sharing it with others. And we can prepare for seasons of lack by developing an abundance mindset. We can take comfort in the knowledge that something beautiful is always right around the corner. 

Olivia Lynn Schnur


Olivia Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR Certified Therapist, Certified Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master. Her mental health writing is designed to inspire, educate and uplift readers. You can learn more about Olivia, or book a yoga session, at oliviaschnur.com