Puerto Rico House of Representatives Speaker Carlos 'Johnny' Méndez and Rep. Elinette González, who represents District 11 (Dorado, Vega Alta and Vega Baja), announced they are identifying leftover funds in the current budget to assign more resources to The Jane Stern Community Library in the town of Dorado. Méndez said he will meet next week with House Treasury Committee chair Rep. Eddie Charbonier to begin a study of the availability of leftover funds.
Méndez said the project offers direct help to low-income communities in Dorado by encouraging reading among children, providing tutoring for youths taking the College Board exams, and offering classes in the arts, robotics, science, technology and engineering (STEM) and computers. Last summer, the nonprofit, created in 1974, received a $15,000 legislative allocation through Joint Resolution 58-2026 (2026-2027).
The library holds thousands of physical books on dozens of shelves and, according to written statements, offers one of the most advanced reading programs in both Spanish and English. González thanked the Speaker for visiting Dorado and said she is convinced the announcement will increase the services the organization provides to Dorado families. In September, the library served about 2,138 people, the vast majority of them minors.
The visit was part of the Cámara 100x35 community impact program, an initiative to hold dialogue with residents of communities across Puerto Rico to identify solutions to existing problems.