WARREN —The United Way of Trumbull County and 7 17 Credit Union announced a new partnership Tuesday to support early literacy efforts that reach nearly 6,000 prekindergarten children across the county and have already helped more than 5,000 others graduate from the program.
The collaboration was announced at McGuffey PK-8 School in Warren and centers on entertainer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails a free age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth until age 5.
United Way of Trumbull County serves as the local affiliate for the program in the county.
As part of the partnership, 7 17 Credit Union introduced an Affinity credit card linked to the United Way. A portion of each purchase made with the card, 7.17 cents, will help fund the Imagination Library by promoting the program and supporting its operations.
Lori Faust, community engagement manager at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, read the picture book “What’s New, Daniel?” aloud to a crowd of preschoolers ahead of the announcement.
John Demmler, President and CEO of 7 17 Credit Union, said the initiative is meant to spark joy and curiosity in reading during a child’s formative years.
“Creating that joy, that excitement, that curiosity in reading is so critical to lifelong learning,” Demmler said.
He drew from his own experience overcoming dyslexia in talking about the importance of programs like Imagination Library that build excitement for books over multiple years.
Christine Cope, CEO of the United Way of Trumbull County, said the program fits into broader community efforts.
“The program inspires a love of reading and a foundation for learning and as part of United Way’s United 4 Kids initiative, it helps prepare children for success in school and beyond,” Cope said. “When we invest in early literacy, we empower a lifetime of possibility.”
Warren City Schools Superintendent Steve Chiaro praised the alignment between the United Way’s work and the district’s preschool program, which serves about 350 3- and 4-year-olds in Warren with a strong focus on early literacy.
“The work and dedication of the United Way of Trumbull County is in strong alignment with the short- and long-term goals of the Warren City School District’s high-performing preschool program that provides 350 3- and 4-year old children in the city of Warren with a strong early literacy foundation,” Chiaro said.
Chiaro said there are some recent academic gains tied to sustained early learning efforts, including summer transition programs supported by the United Way that help students move from kindergarten to first grade and first to second grade.
Last year, all five Warren City School District buildings showed growth on the state report card, with McGuffey PK-8 climbing from a three-star to a three-and-a-half-star rating, which was the highest in the district.
Warren Mayor Doug Franklin connected the literacy investment to the city’s revitalization.
“I’ve always said that as the schools go, so goes the city,” Franklin said. “This investment just reinforces that point that we all have to band together and support our kids in any way we can.”
Franklin described the partnership as part of a dual approach to community progress combining economic development with investments in children.
“You have to do it simultaneously,” he said. “You can’t do one without the other.”
Officials described the new credit card as both a funding mechanism and a way to raise awareness. While it is not expected to cover the full cost of the program, each book costs roughly $2.60 to mail and officials say it will contribute to sustainability and promotion.
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