- March 3, 2026
A new endowment has been established to support children's literacy in Flagler County.
Founded by local resident Linda Mahran in partnership with the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties, the Flagler County Early Literacy Endowment aims to deliver free, age-appropriate books every month to children from birth to age five. The endowment supports the local Dolly Parton Imagination Library program and will be coordinated locally by the Early Learning Coalition, which raises donations and grant funding to cover monthly operating costs exceeding $6,000.
According to a press release, the endowment aims to grow through donor gifts and investment earnings until it can fully cover those costs — eliminating dependence on year-to-year fundraising.
"The Flagler County Early Literacy Endowment was established to provide a financial tool to ensure the sustainability of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for Flagler County," Mahran said. "Supporting early literacy is important to me because of the impact literacy has on our community. Increasing reading at grade level by the end of third grade can positively impact the economy as students are more likely to graduate high school and be better prepared for the workforce. It has a multi-generational effect — literacy can help break poverty cycles."
To support the Flagler County Early Literacy Endowment, visit https://bit.ly/FlaglerLiteracy.
