Grassroots fundraising effort kicked off for Imagination Library of Medina County

MEDINA — A fundraising effort has helped sustain the Imagination Library of Medina County's mission of providing free monthly books for kids younger than 5 in the county. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library was started in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. Now, more than 3 million books a month are mailed to children in the United States and across the world. Imagination Library of Ohio North Regional Director Missy Timko said the Dollywood Foundation has a book selection committee composed of childhood literacy experts who select books from Penguin Random House for distribution. Each enrolled child receives an age-appropriate book every month, and families can select a fully English book collection or a bilingual English and Spanish collection. "You can't duplicate that emotional connection that the child then has with the book because the next thing you know, they want to go to the library," she said. "They want to see the next book, and they want to experience it. Getting this in the mail is what's fostering that love of reading." There are 23 states that have statewide programs, and Ohio has the largest program, Timko said. Ohio's state budget includes 50 percent funding from the state for the program, so the other half of the program is covered locally. About 1,500 children are enrolled in Brunswick, about 2,100 in Medina and approximately 1,100 in Wadsworth, she said. Children are enrolled in other parts of Medina County as well. Each county has a local program partner, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that manages the program on a local level, Timko said. The local program partner is responsible for paying for the books and postage each month. "On average, it's $2.60 per child per month, which equals $31 (a year)," she said. "Because we have the state match here in Ohio, it's reduced to $1.30 per child per month. If you do the math on that, at 6,000 kids, it's about $7,800 a month to run the program here in Medina County." The previous funding partner in Medina County is no longer involved. Community Action Wayne/Medina is now the fiscal partner, and the organization has a separate fund for donations that will pay for the local portion of the cost. "We really saw it as a need," Community Action Wayne/Medina President and CEO James Fox said. "With Community Action, as a 501(c)(3), it's very easy for us to assume that role as fiscal partner and handle all of the donations." An anonymous donor is helping with the transition, so the book bill will be paid for in Medina County until January. Timko said about $18,000 has been raised so far for the program, and the program costs roughly $93,600 a year in the county. Medina County District Library Executive Director Julianne Bedel said grassroots funding is needed for the program to be sustainable. "I think all of us agree that our goal is to fundraise for the entire amount to ensure sustainability of the program in the long-term," Fox said. The Medina County District Library is the managing partner in the county, and it will do tasks like maintaining the mailing database, removing duplicates and helping with promotions. No tax dollars from Community Action or the Medina County District Library are being used to fund the Imagination Library. Children can be enrolled in Medina County by visiting tinyurl.com/4wmvuazz, and then the enrolled child will receive their first book in the mail in eight to 10 weeks. All children under the age of 5 are eligible, including siblings. To make a donation to the Medina County program, visit tinyurl.com/47c6nbsa. Funding of the local program will stay within the county. "When you're donating, you're supporting a family right here in Medina County," Timko said. "You're supporting a child right here." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.