MECCA’s Imagination Library Looks to the Future
Nearly a year ago friend and neighbor, Ron Otto, reached out to me to express his interest in partnering with MECCA to create a local affiliate of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library; a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family's income. The goal is to expand the child's imagination. How could we turn down an opportunity to improve literacy rates? We couldn't and didn't.
We started looking into the requirements - sign up children in the area, host fun reading activities with families and pay for the books because literacy is not a luxury. We're expecting to pay roughly $5000 for books in our first year, alone. By the fifth year, it's expected to cost MECCA $40,000. We're here for it because that means we'll give the gift of reading to so many of our neighborhood's children. I'm happy to share that we've received a grant to cover the costs for the first year. Now we're looking to prepare for future years. We need your help.
MECCA's Youth Committee Chair, Baraka Johnson, has organized a cell phone recycling fundraiser. If you have an old cell phone laying around the house that you want to get rid of you can drop it/them off at one of three neighborhood businesses - AAA Laundromat, Detroit Pepper Company or BikeTech. If you'd prefer to have the phone(s) picked up, text the word 'CELLPHONE' to (313) 423-8149. The fundraiser will run through June 30th.
If you'd like to sign your child up for the Imagination Library, go to meccadc.org/imagination-library
