- April 24, 2024
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The Ormond Beach Leadership Class of 2018 is working with the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia to launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in Ormond Beach.
The initiative is part of the class' community service project needed to graduate, and in order to be successful, the class must raise $10,000 by May 3 to start a chapter of the program in town. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a child literacy program where children receive a free book in the mail every month from birth until five years old, allowing them to have a total of 60 books before starting kindergarten.
“Any child can benefit from this," said Cynthia Endara, who is part of the leadership class. "It’s not based on financial need or not-financial need. It’s any child in Ormond Beach.”
The class decided on bringing the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Ormond Beach as its group project revolved around both choosing something that would benefit the community and have a lasting impact. While many ideas were brought forward, one thing was for certain.
“The central theme across most of what was reported back to us was the desire to help children,” said Mark Goodson, co-leader of the project.
Allison Miller, director of community partnerships for the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia, said they are thankful to be able to partner with the class. The nonprofit runs the program locally, and its end goal is to offer the program county-wide in Volusia. Currently, it's offered in Daytona Beach, Holly Hill and Port Orange.
"Having books and early literacy in the home is so important to the child’s future success in school and in life, and, not only does it help children perform better on literacy tests when they enter kindergarten, but it also is helping them to bond more with their parents," Miller said.
The class is now halfway to their $10,000 goal, and they're not slowing down.
“We want people to help us raise this, and if we can get it past 10 grand, that means it’ll just sustain longer," Endara said.
