Encore Memory Care at Crystal Lake now has a Little Free Library outside its property for anyone to use.

The memory care facility, located at 495 Alexandra Blvd., debuted the Little Free Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 27. Anyone is welcome to take a book and leave a book in the wooden box situated near the sidewalk outside the property.

Encore staff hope the small gesture creates another connection in the community.

“We hope the Little Free Library serves as a gathering point for the community and an opportunity for residents, families and neighbors to enjoy and share books,” Vicki Botefuhr, Crystal Lake’s Encore Memory Care sales and marketing director, said in a Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce news release. “It is a meaningful way to bring people together and celebrate the importance of stories across generations.”

The Little Free Library box is adorned with purple accents and stickers that say “end Alzheimer’s.” Purple is the color often associated with Alzheimer’s disease awareness.

A hand-painted purple butterfly can be found on the back of the box, which was created by former Community School District 300 art teacher Terry Young. A resident at Encore, Young was a teacher for more than 30 years, mainly at Hampshire and Jacobs high schools. He said he still enjoys painting from time to time.

The ribbon-cutting event was co-hosted by the Cary-Grove chamber, the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Encore Memory Care at Crystal Lake provides specialized care and support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.