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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:40 AM The free book of the month club St. Timothy's heads local literacy program By Stephanie Creech | Times Senior Writer Starting this week, parents across Wilson County can sign up for a new program that will allow their child to receive a free book each month until his 5th birthday. St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Wilson is spearheading the project, which is part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program. Members of the Mission Commission at St. Timothy's are placing brochures, which outline details and contain a registration form, in businesses and different locations, such as libraries, where parents with young children might visit. All United Way funded agencies in the county will have brochures. The books will be available in every area of Wilson County with the exception of Stantonsburg because Stantonsburg is covered by a similar program operating in Greene County. The books are available regardless of a family's income level. Once a parent mails in the registration form, it will take approximately eight to 10 weeks for the first book to arrive by mail. The idea is that parents will take time to read with their child and help build early literacy skills. The first book every child receives regardless of his age is "The Little Engine That Could." Linda Bunn, who serves on St. Timothy's Mission Commission, has been talking with city and county leaders discussing the program. St. Timothy's is serving as what's called a Local Champion for the Imagination Library. The return address on each book mailed will be St. Timothy's address so people know the program is sponsored locally by the church. Bunn said they are working with Wilson Medical Center to make sure brochures about the program are placed in new baby kits at the hospital. St. Timothy's will collect any books that are returned to the post office because they are undeliverable. The church will donate the returned books each month to different organizations. Bunn said the church has secured a five-year commitment from BB&T to help fund the purchase of the books. A private foundation in Wilson is also contributing money. Bunn said a private donor has agreed to cover whatever balance of the cost remains. She declined to disclose any specific amounts of money donated thus far. Any additional donations to help fund the program are welcome. Bunn said they have a great deal of faith this program is going to work. Based on Census Bureau figures, Wilson County has roughly 5,062 children under the age of 5. Bunn explained they expect to reach maybe 70 percent of those 5,062 children. It will cost the church more than $13,000 to provide the books during the first year. As the number of children participating grows, the cost grows because more books are mailed each month. The Imagination Library program will survey participating parents so the church will receive feedback on how the program is working and whether parents are reading with their children when they receive the books each month. The books that will be mailed are based upon the age of the child. The books are purchased at a discount rate from Penguin Group Inc. Bunn first read about the Imagination Library program while on a business trip in Chicago in the late 1990s. She returned to Wilson and wanted to start the program here. But the timing wasn't right. Bunn suggested the project again. This time more people were interested in seeing it happen. Wilson County Partnership for Children had been interested in helping Bunn start the program. However, the partnership was unable to participate in terms of helping fund the program, according to Tracy Connor, program coordinator for the partnership. "We went a pretty good way in trying to do it," Connor said of trying to help fund it. Connor said she is happy to hear Bunn and St. Timothy's are moving forward with the program. "She (Bunn) wanted to get books out there to the kids," Connor said. "She was aware of the literacy problem in the county. This was her way of wanting to address it. Unfortunately, we were not able to bring it in as a funded activity." But Connor said the partnership is there to help the church in other ways if needed. Anyone with questions about the Imagination Library program should contact the church at 291-8220 for further details. creech@wilsontimes.com | 265-7822 |
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