Books from Birth program helped by Morrison donation
Morrison officials have stepped to the plate in support of Gov. Phil Bredesen?s Books from Birth program, which is an offshoot of Dolly Parton?s Imagination Library.
Morrison?s Board of Mayor and Alderman have donated $500 to the effort, with individuals and their co-workers donating another $550 to the program, which provides a book a month to Warren County children up to 5 years old. Books from Birth is administered locally by the Southern Standard and its staff.
County Executive John Pelham was on hand Monday night to accept the checks at a regular meeting of the Morrison Board and offered his thanks for their contributions. Pelham says he believes Books from Birth is a worthy program in a number of ways.
?It goes along with everything we have been working toward with education in our county,? Pelham said. ?Like improving our graduation rate. A lot of what we want to accomplish in Warren County is going to come through education. This is a major part of the big picture, getting our children interested in reading at an early age.
?It?s very beneficial in that regard, and then not only are we encouraging our children to enjoy books, we are also encouraging parents to spend quality time with their children by reading these books to them. Anything that promotes a parent sitting down and spending time with their child, nothing but good can come of that. It?s a wonderful program.?
Books from Birth had been in danger of running out of funding for the year, but a number of generous donations have now provided enough funds to run through the end of its fiscal year, which ends in August. The program costs around $30,000 per year, of which the state provides half, $15,000, with the counties participating matching that amount. In a tight budget year, county commissioners were only able to appropriate $7,500 for the program in its 2006-2007 budget, leaving it $7,500 short for the year.
Pelham says he is very pleased at the way the county has come forward in support of Books from Birth. The local Bridgestone plant, through its Grass Roots program, initially donated $6,000 to the program, and has since made a second donation. A story in the Standard about the program?s monetary needs, and Bridgestone?s involvement, was one of the things which brought about the recent funding efforts, according to Pelham.
?Bridgestone?s donation, and the Standard?s story, led Morrison alderman Donald Miller, and his wife Jeannine, to begin working toward getting the rest of the funding needed,? Pelham said. ?Donald brought that information to the mayor and aldermen at Morrison and they graciously donated $500 from the city of Morrison.
?Then Donald and Jeannine, through donations of their own and their immediate family, raised another $450,? Pelham added. ?And then Jeannine, who works at Ben Lomand, raised an additional $100 from Ben Lomand, for a total of $1,050.?
This still left the program short for the year, but Bridgestone stepped up once again and covered the balance needed to finish out the year with a second donation.
Standard publisher Patricia Zechman says she is pleased with the support the community has shown for the program, which she, like everyone involved, feels is vital to the community.
?As the coordinating entity for the Books from Birth program in this community, the Southern Standard is most appreciative of the Warren County Commission?s commitment to the program and to the impact it can have on our children,? Zechman said. ?We are especially grateful that Bridgestone has included Books from Birth as part of its benevolence locally. The donations from the city of Morrison, and from Donald and Jeannine Miller, who have been particularly instrumental in helping fund this year?s Books from Birth, gives testimony to our citizens? desire to bring reading skills to our children.
?We can?t say enough about County Executive John Pelham?s part in securing funds for the program,? Zechman continued. ?In the brief four months he?s been in office, Mr. Pelham has put the best interests and the educational needs of our children, especially those in the formative years, at the top of his list. Bringing families together through Books from Birth can only strengthen Warren County and our plans for a brighter future.?