The Kiwanis Club of Liberty County is bringing stories of inclusion to children who need them and honored one of their own in doing so Saturday morning.

Kiwanis members opened the first little library of the Every Story Matters project and

dedicated it to the late Tara Cordero, who passed away in January at just 55 years old.

The Every Story Matters project brings books with characters and storylines of children with special needs to children with special needs.

Cordero was one of the charter members of the Liberty County Kiwanis Club, and her lifelong best friend and fellow club member Kim Ryon said it was special honor to dedicate the first library to Cordero.

Cordero worked with Head Start for more than 20 years and with Long County Family Connection prior to her retirement. She started out to be a nurse, Ryon said, “but life and the Lord had other plans.”

“She discovered her true calling in social work,” Ryon added, “and she devoted her career to serving children and families through the Head Start program. She worked tirelessly and compassionately, helping others without seeking praise or recognition. That’s just who Tara was.”

Club president and Hinesville Fire Chief Robert Kitchings said the little libraries already around town have grown. His wife Tina, an avid reader and a supporter of special needs children’s causes, came up with the idea of a little lending library for special needs children.

Even before the unveiling of the first library, Kitchings said the Kiwanis Club has gotten support from the community, with more than 100 books already donated.

“I thought it was going to be something small,” Tina Kitchings said. “It’s turned into a movement. It’s blown me away.”

Incoming club president John Reith said the Every Story Matters project captures Kiwanis’ mission.

“It’s about creating opportunities for children, supporting families and making sure every member of our community feels seen, valued and included,” he said. “Today’s event is an example of that in action. It’s about representation, empathy, understanding and access.

“It’s making sure children can open a book and see characters who look like them and learn like them. It’s about building communities one page at a time.”

Ryon said Cordero was in many ways the heart of the club and signed up to volunteer at everything in which Kiwanis was a part.

“Tara was always there and you could often see her children volunteering with her,” Ryon said. “She was dependable, dedicated and doing whatever needed to be done. Her contributions to the club and the impact to our community are impossible to measure.

“The children who will discover themselves in these books may never know Tara’s name but they will benefit from the values she embodied,” Ryon concluded.

Chief Kitchings said more of Every Story Matters libraries are on the way.

“It’s not a one-and-done,” he said. “It’s going to be an ongoing project. It’s something we’re putting our heart and soul into.”