The Advisory Committee of the North Baldwin Community Foundation has awarded $13,900 to nine organizations in its second competitive grant cycle. These funds will address the needs of Bay Minette and the surrounding area in efforts to improve the quality of life of its residents.

The 2022 grantees include Prodisee Pantry, the North Baldwin Coalition for Excellence in Education, Bay Minette Elementary School, Bay Minette Public Library, the City of Bay Minette, Equine Therapy Group Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Bay Minette, North Baldwin Ecumenical Association, and United Way of Baldwin County.

This week the group delivered $3,000 in grant money to the Bay Minette Public Library to cover the cost of 120 children to participate in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library through the Bay Minette Public Library.

"We are thrilled to receive this grant award which will help us put books in the hands of young readers," said Joanna Bailey, library director. "We want to provide the children in our community with a firm reading foundation to ensure reading success in their school years to come. Parents and caregivers reading aloud to their children will increase literacy and verbal skills and give them a strong foundation."

The Dollywood Foundation has a Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee that selects curated titles. As part of this program, children from birth up to 5-years old in Bay Minette, Stockton and Perdido can receive a free book each month through the mail. The Dollywood Foundation covers the overhead costs associated with the program. The library's only financial responsibility is the at-cost books and mailing expenses. The funds stay local, and 100 percent of the funding goes to serve the children in the local community.

To learn more about the Imagination Library, visit www.bayminettepubliclibrary.org.

Members of the North Baldwin Community Foundation said grants such as the money given to the Bay Minette Library can help build positive programs in the northern most parts of the county.

"This second successful grant cycle is a testament to the strength and determination of the North Baldwin community," said The Community Foundation of South Alabama President & CEO, Rebecca Byrne. "The North Baldwin Community Foundation will continue to support organizations and programs that positively impact local residents."

The North Baldwin Community Foundation was established in September 2020. The Foundation established the North Baldwin Community Fund as a vehicle to receive donations and bequests to benefit the community.