January 8, 2009
From the front page of this morning's Sanford Herald, we find the headline article featuring young Cooper Riley and his lovely mother about reading. Way to go young reader!
Imagination Library exceeds its goal of free books for children
By ERIN ZUREICK
ezureick@sanfordherald.com
Jan 9,2009
 ERIN ZUREICK/The Sanford HeraldHolly Riley reads "Pigs Love Potatoes" to her 2-year-old son Cooper at the Lee County Partnership for Children's Imagination Library in Sanford Thursday.    |
ezureick@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — Two-year-old Cooper Riley might not be able to read yet, but he has already picked out "Pigs Love Potatoes" as his favorite book.
"He's constantly asking for the pig book," said his mother, Holly. "I just love reading to him. His face lights up."
Cooper received the children's book for free this fall after signing up for Imagination Library, a nationwide reading program that is sponsored locally by the Lee County Partnership for Children.
Imagination Library, started by singer Dolly Parton in 1996, provides a free book each month to children younger than 5 years old.
Since implementing the program in late September, Lee County Partnership for Children has signed up 571 children — far exceeding its goal of 500 children within the program's first year, said Cortney McCullough, the partnership's outreach coordinator.
"I think it's had astonishing success," McCullough said. "It shows that Lee County is really open to a new program that helps the children."
The cost of funding a child for one year is $28.08. With 571 children signed up, that adds up to just more than $16,000.
Lee County Partnership for Children Executive Director Lyn Hankins said the ultimate goal is to reach all of the county's 4,000 children she estimates are eligible.
"Reading and learning don't start when they enter kindergarten; it starts the minute they're born," Hankins said. "The sooner they have exposure to books and listen to someone reading to them, the greater that vocabulary is going to expand and the quicker that vocabulary is going to expand."
The partnership's board of directors set aside some start-up funds for Imagination Library's first year, but the program will rely largely on donations.
Hankins said the partnership has raised about $6,000 since September.
"We certainly have to raise more than that to keep the program afloat over a long period of time," she said. "I think there will be a positive response."
McCullough said because of high demand, the partnership will probably have to cut off sign-ups at some point and add more participants once children turn 5 and leave the program.
"Basically we really hope that through the program parents will take the opportunity to read to children and understand how important literacy is," she said.
Holly Riley said she tries to read to Cooper several times a day. Even though he can't read yet, she said the books help him associate words with pictures.
So far, Cooper has received four books. Holly said that she and her husband, Jay, buy their son other books as well but that the costs can start to add up.
"It's quite an expense once you factor in clothes and food," she said. "It's been wonderful to be able to have that resource."
ezureick@sanfordherald.com
