It’s official: Morden’s Imagination Library is a go.
A committee made up of reps from the Morden Family Resource Centre (MFRC), Western School Division, and South Central Regional Library has raised the funds it needs to launch the early childhood literacy program next week.
Some of the free books children enrolled in Morden’s new Imagination Library program will receive. Registration opens Monday at 10 a.m. Scan the QR code above to find the website
“We are opening for registrations on Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m.,” shared MFRC executive director Jen Froese. “We’re initially going to open it up to 100 kids, one per family to start, and then hopefully through the next few months we’ll raise more funds to be able to accept more kids per family.”
The Imagination Library is an international program founded by country music superstar Dolly Parton. Local chapters mail out free books to registered kids every month from the time they’re born until they turn five, helping families build up their home libraries and fostering in kids a lifelong love of reading.
The money they’ve raised so far will cover sending books to the first 100 kids for the next two years, but organizers are certainly hoping to grow the program far beyond that.
“We raised what we need to launch it, but we still need more to keep it going through the years and accept more kids,” Froese said. “It’s a start, but we definitely have a few hundred more children that would be eligible.”
Much of this first $10,000 came from a handful of generous community donors, so Froese is hoping to get the word out about this program to as many more potential supporters as possible.
“We are really encouraging smaller businesses, larger businesses to get on board, maybe with a payroll deduction program, if this is something that they’re passionate about and that their employees are passionate about, because every dollar counts.”
It costs just $45 to cover books and mail costs for one child for one year, Froese noted.
“It’s not a huge investment,” she said. “So if there are any business that want to jump on board and support it, we’d love to hear from them.”
Donations can also be made online at imaginationlibrary.com/ca/affiliate/MBMORDEN, which is the same website to go Monday morning to register your child for the program.
They will be accepting children born in July 2021 or later who live in the Western School Division catchment area.
