The Fort St John Literacy Society has been providing kids of the North Peace Region with free books, with help from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

These Books are provided free, every month, until that child turns 5 years old. But due to a lack of funding, the Imagination Library is at risk of coming to an end.

On Wednesday, September 17th, the FSJ Literacy Society and 100.1 Moose FM will be hosting the Imagination Library Radiothon, live at Safeway. From 6 am to 6 pm we’ll be collecting donations to keep local kids reading. 

Here are the stats: 

• Almost 700 children under the age of 5 currently receive a free book in the mail every month. Since the end of 2018, when the program began, almost 60,000 books have been delivered to children in our area
• Children from Fort St. John, Taylor, Hudson’s Hope, Areas B & C can enroll in the program
• Because of the generous support of the Dolly Parton Foundation, the cost for a child to receive one year of books mailed to their home is only $50, less than 20% of what it might cost if a parent were purchasing the books selected by the program
• The program promotes early literacy, preparing children to enter kindergarten with basic literacy and reading skills, increased confidence and communication skills
• When the book arrives each month, addressed to the child, it encourages quality family time and reading aloud
• If a child is enrolled at birth, by the time they are 5 years old, they will have a personal library of 60 books. Research tells us that children who grow up with books in the home have greater literacy skills, which lead to greater academic success, self-confidence and the ability to actively participate in learning experiences

What do we need to succeed? $40,000, or the Library could be shut down by the end of the year. 

A donation of $50 will supply one child with books for a WHOLE YEAR, and for $250 you can provide a child with free books from birth to the age of 5!!

So, how do you donate?? You can donate through the Literacy Society’s web page at fsjliteracy.ca, in person at Safeway with cash, card or cheque, or by calling the Literacy Society’s office number at 250-785-2110

Make sure you join us on September 17th from 6 am to 6 pm, and help keep local kids reading.