By Taylor J. Hale
Staff Writer

STEVENS POINT – The CAP Services’ Family Crisis Center in Stevens Point honored a long-time advocate and supporter by erecting a new outdoor library box. The group installed the Betsy Altenburg Little Free Library on July 25.

Altenburg was a former board member of the crisis center. She passed away in August 2018, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“When she passed away, we wanted to do something in her honor,” said Cathy Martin, Family Crisis Center board member.

Martin’s husband, Jim, created the library box and designed it after Altenburg’s real home on Clark Street and Business 51. The couple worked with the Worth Company to develop a vinyl wrap that would fit the structure, and provide a stunning visual-likeness of the Altenburg residence.

“The Worth Company was a family friend of the Altenburg’s,” Martin explained. “Dave Worth, the CEO and president, had a graphic designer make the outside of the house.”

According to Martin, it took the group roughly four months to finish the project. Staff members have already stocked the free library with adult and children’s books — all free to borrow. The outdoor library is not the only place at the crisis center that carries Altenburg’s name. The Betsy Altenburg Memorial Library, located inside the center, was completed earlier this year.

“The inside library was finished earlier in 2019,” Martin said. “It’s geared for self-help books for adults and kids in crisis.” Altenburg’s husband, Jim, said that he feels the memorials will help preserve the family’s legacy in the Stevens Point area.

The Family Crisis Center Board is currently working on creating a plaque for the free library.