Brunswick makes $10,000 donation to Imagination Library of Medina County

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick City Council authorized a onet-ime donation of $10,000 to the Imagination Library of Medina County on Monday to support the organization's childhood literacy initiative. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library gives a free age-appropriate book every month to children up to age 5. City Manager Carl DeForest said there are 1,473 children in Brunswick who are enrolled in the program, which equates to 24 percent of the county's recipients. "With a child's brain being 80 percent developed by age 3th, it is critically important for caregivers to start reading to their children at a young age," Imagination Library of Medina County said. Each county has a nonprofit organization that manages the Imagination Library program on a local level and is responsible for paying for the books and postage each month. "On March 9, 2026, Kathy Breitenbucher came in and advised Council of the predicament they were in," DeForest said. "Their funding was cut off by a nonprofit organization that previously funded them. They were not necessarily looking for donations, but they were just advertising the fact that they were kind of in a pinch." In November, Imagination Library of Ohio North Regional Director Missy Timko told program supporters it costs around $7,800 a month to run the program in Medina County at a cost of $1.30 per child per month because of the state match. "After the presentation by Kathy (Breitenbucher), I made an inquiry to Council as to whether they'd be supportive of a $10,000 one-time donation to the Imagination Library," DeForest said. "We did include that $10,000 in the most recent budget amendment that was approved by Council." Vice Mayor Nick Hanek said it is a valuable program, and it is important that it is a one-time donation. "I think this, and a few other (non-rofits), that take on a function that otherwise would go totally undone is an exception," he said. "I do not think it should be a standard, but I think it's worthwhile." For more information about the Imagination Library of Medina County, visit tinyurl.com/3fkzv282. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.