Write a commentImagination Library of Oswego County (ILOC) received a $1,000 Mini Grant award from the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and NYS Office of Children and Family Services, it was announced by Andrew Eusebio, ILOC program coordinator.
The Imagination Library program is administered by the Literacy Coalition of Oswego County (LCOC) in partnership with United Way of Greater Oswego County. The program is co-directed by Patrick Dewine, United Way of Greater Oswego County (UWGOC), executive director, and LCOC past president Michael Egan.
This grant award allows the Imagination Library program the ability to provide free books to approximately 250 children, ages birth to five years old, across Oswego County during the months of July and August. Books are mailed directly to the homes of the children, providing them access to quality age-appropriate literature, and offering caregivers the tools to read to them daily, without a cost to the family regardless of the household income.
“We are extremely grateful to the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and NYS Office of Children and Family Services for their generous support of Imagination Library,” said program co-director Mike Egan. “Their ability to recognize the value of the early childhood literacy program will benefit many children in Oswego County and better prepare them for kindergarten,” added Egan.
ILOC currently serves 52 percent of eligible children in Oswego County. Since ILOC began in Nov. 2018, 6,745 children have registered, 2,924 children have graduated, and 149,994 books have been delivered across Oswego County.
“Supporting literacy initiatives for our youth aligns with some of our work,” said Brian Chetney, Oswego City-County Youth Bureau Executive Director. “Providing books to families through the Imagination Library reinforces the importance of reading and starts children on a positive course in their education journey,” added Chetney. The Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and NYS Office of Children and Family Services have previously supported ILOC with a Youth Development Program grant award of $7,500 in October 2023.
ILOC is a free monthly book subscription that provides an age-appropriate book to all registered children in Oswego County each month, from birth to their fifth birthday, and encourages parents to read with their children. For more information on enrollment or about the program, visit oswegoimaginationlibrary.org, or find them on Facebook under “Imagination Library of Oswego County.”
The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is a coalition of local organizations and individuals dedicated to improving literacy in our county. The LCOC works to address the literacy needs of people of all ages. The areas it covers include basic literacy, workforce literacy, computer literacy, health literacy, and financial literacy. “The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County is dedicated to supporting and expanding literacy services so that people can work, our economy can grow, families can thrive, and our community can prosper,” Dewine said. For more information about the Literacy Coalition of Oswego County, visit literacycoalitionofoswegocounty.com or find them on Facebook.
