Community Action IDs are now being accepted at Wake County Public Libraries through a partnership with El Pueblo, a Raleigh-based nonprofit group that advocates for the Latinx community.
These IDs will allow people to access library sources as well as serve as valid identification at other organizations like health centers.
The idea sprang out of the Faith Action ID Program over a decade ago in Greensboro and has expanded to cities including Durham, Burlington, High Point and Carrboro.
Florence Siman, the director of programs at El Pueblo, said it’s important to understand that these are for anyone who cannot secure a government-issued ID.
"So it could be for somebody who is trans and they're feeling like their state-issued ID does not reflect the gender with which they identify or it could be somebody who’s unhoused,” she said.
El Pueblo has already hosted 11 ID drives. The next one is Friday, Feb. 24 at 1:30 p.m. at Centro Para Familias Hispanas in Raleigh.
Other organizations and agencies that accept the Community Action ID include the Raleigh Police Department and the Wake Sheriff’s Office. The ID can not be used as a valid driver's license or for voting.