Arkansas Imagination Library (ARIL) has received a $20,000 grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Cleburne, Independence, Izard, Sharp, and Stone Counties.
This funding will help sustain monthly book delivery for children ages 0–5 in North Central Arkansas while ARIL serves as the temporary Local Program Partner for these counties. ARIL has stepped into this role to ensure children and families continue receiving books without interruption as we work to identify a permanent local partner for the region.
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, enrolled children receive one free, high-quality, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their home each month from birth until age five. These books help families build home libraries, encourage shared reading, and support early literacy development during the most critical years of brain development.
The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas grant will help offset the cost of monthly book delivery and ensure continued access to the program for families across Cleburne, Independence, Izard, Sharp, and Stone Counties. This support is especially meaningful as ARIL works to strengthen local program sustainability and maintain access for children in rural communities where books and early learning resources may be harder to reach.
ARIL is deeply grateful to the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas for investing in early literacy and helping strengthen futures for children and families in North Central Arkansas.