CULLMAN, Ala. – The Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County (TFPLCC) on Friday celebrated its one-year anniversary of encouraging children’s literacy through its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Kids who visited were treated to cupcakes and colored birthday cards for the library. They also had a chance to sign up to receive free monthly books if they weren’t already on the list.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library delivers books into the hands of children across the world. Each book is mailed to the child’s home and personalized with his or her name. The Cullman County Imagination Library has seen great success in its first year. Thanks to local sponsors, all residents need to do to receive free monthly books for their children is sign up. All children younger than 5 are eligible, as long as they are residents of Cullman County.
Work on the local program started last fall when the Cullman Electric Cooperative volunteered to be the TFPLCC’s primary sponsor. Local businesses and organizations that have since joined as sponsors are Cullman County Schools, R.E. Garrison Trucking, Peoples Bank of Alabama, Apel Steel, McCaw Hydraulics, the United Way of Cullman County, Listerhill Credit Union, Lazarus, LLC and the Cullman Rotary Club.
“We have given over 22,000 books in this 12-month period. We have reached 2,000 kids,” said TFPLCC President Tanya Allcorn.
The Cullman County Imagination Library has already surpassed goals that are generally not reached until year three of becoming a partner.
Said Allcorn, “We are doing a great sponsorship through the month of August where you can give online to sponsor a child individually if someone wants to just pay it forward.”
The cost of the Imagination Library is $25 per year per child, or $2.10 per book. Donations from corporations, community groups and individuals make the program possible.
Any business or community group that would like to be a corporate sponsor can contact Allcorn at friendsofcullmanlibraries@gmail.com or Oakleigh Calahan at oakleighc@cullmanec.com.
Individual sponsorships can be made by visiting www.ccimaginationlibrary.com/give/.
For $25, you can sponsor one child for one year in the program.
For $125, you can sponsor one child through the program from birth until his or her 5th birthday.
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