TEXARKANA -- The United Way of Greater Texarkana has worked for months on a plan to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to children in two area counties, and now that plan will become reality.
Children who have been signed up for the program will receive a book a month from birth to age 5 at a cost of $125 per child under the program that will be offered in Miller County in Arkansas and Bowie County in Texas.
The United Way has raised enough money to serve 400 children this year.
"For Miller and Bowie counties, that means we'll be able to serve about 55 percent of those estimated to apply for the program," said Mark Bledsoe, United Way president and chief executive officer.
Organizers were hoping to raise enough money to serve all eligible children born in the new year.
"The Dolly Parton Foundation estimates there will be 1,927 children born in the new year in Miller and Bowie counties," Bledsoe said. "They estimate that of those children born, about 60 percent of eligible children would submit cards, so that brings the number of children to 726, and we have enough funding for 400 kids."
The United Way will continue raising money for the program throughout the year, but officials think newborns will be accepted into the Imagination Library on a first-come, first-served basis. They will be signed up at the hospital after they are delivered.
Bledsoe expects more community support once people see the program in action.
"When people see the impact, I do believe we'll get more support," he said. "Whether we get 100 percent of the funds needed, I don't know, but I certainly think we'll get more support."
The United Way has money set aside for the full five years of the program for the children it will enroll this year.
"This is certainly one of those long-term plans," Bledsoe said. "We might not see results tomorrow, but as this group starts entering school, I think you'll see those kids outperforming ones that haven't been in the program. We hope to see them continue at that higher level once they progress through the school years.
"My hope is you see the kids that go through the program outperform previous students. If we educate our children at a higher level, they're able to succeed at a higher level. The only way we're going to improve our area in the long-term is through education."
Bledsoe noted that the program not only encourages children to read, but it also encourages parents to spend time with their kids.
"Maybe it will bring back some of those core values and reduce disciplinary problems that have been popping up in recent years," Bledsoe said. "This is just the beginning. We've got to at least put programs like this in motion if we're going to make a difference."
Metro on 01/03/2018