March 30, 2023 –
Imagination Library of Waco is excited to announce it received a $5,000 grant from Waco Foundation to grow and sustain enrollment in high-priority zip codes in the greater Waco community. The grant was given as an immediate impact grant and funded from the Lucy & Kent Keeth Fund. Imagination Library of Waco has experienced rapid growth in enrollment over the past few months and is grateful for the generosity of Waco Foundation and the Keeth Fund for helping to support this important pre-Kindergarten program.
Kent Keeth and his wife, Lucy were instrumental in founding the Sanger Heights Neighborhood Association. Kent enjoyed serving as a member of the Waco Plan Commission and was active in various historical societies. He believed that being involved in civic and charitable activities was part of being a good citizen, and he always encouraged others to do the same. The Keeth estate continues Kent’s legacy of community vision and charitable giving and will benefit the Waco community for years to come.
The fact that the Imagination Library grant came from the Keeth’s fund is especially fitting because both were librarians. Lucy was a librarian at the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor. Kent worked as a reference librarian at the Library of Congress before becoming the Director of the Texas Collection at Baylor. He was a life-long learner and avid reader, the exact traits that Imagination Library aims to instill in its participants.
Waco Foundation’s high-priority zip codes include 76704, 76707 and 76711. Currently, there are 514 children living in these zip codes who receive one free children’s book in the mail each month. In total, the grant will allow Imagination Library to send out over 2,200 books over the course of a year to an area that needs literacy and early childhood education resources.
“We are grateful to be selected for an immediate impact grant from Waco Foundation. These funds will go directly to gifting books to pre-K children in areas of our community that need the most support to ensure all children grow up with a love of learning and the ability to read, dream and be successful in life. Not only has Waco Foundation been generous with this grant, but it has also offered guidance and resources on non-profit management best practices. We are grateful for their support of Imagination Library of Waco,” said Executive Director Noelle Baker.
For more information about Waco Foundation’s Grantmaking, visit https://wacofoundation.org/community-impact/nonprofits/grantmaking
About Imagination Library of Waco
Imagination Library of Waco was started in December 2020 and is the local affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The mission is to ensure that all children in Waco grow up surrounded by books. It’s that simple. Imagination Library of Waco currently serves six zip codes in the heart of Waco, with plans to expand to all of McLennan County. There are currently over 1,300 children enrolled in the program and to-date, Imagination Library of Waco has gifted over 15,000 books.
Imagination Library of Waco 