Wednesday, Apr. 24, from 10 AM-12 PM and 5 PM-8 PM, the Kennett Library and Arts Holding Hands and Hearts (AHHAH) will co-host a Spring Forward Together event geared towards families with children to celebrate the Chester County Imagination Library (CCIL).

Children from birth to age five who live in Chester County are eligible to enroll in the Chester County Imagination Library program, which sends them a free book in the mail once a month. In just one year, AHHAH has registered over 7,800 children and mailed over 81,000 books through the Chester County Imagination Library.

AHHAH powers the Chester County Imagination Library in partnership with the Justamere Foundation and the Kennett Library. Their goal is to increase literacy levels for preschool-age children living in Chester County, to provide opportunities for positive family experiences and engagement, and to foster a love of reading in the greater Chester County community.

Jan Michener, Executive Director of AHHAH, said, “AHHAH’s partnership and collaboration with the Kennett Library and all the wonderful organizations in Chester County shows the power and impact of coming together. We have woven a basket of love and cultivated a community of mutual aid and support. When a child or family falls into our basket, instead of falling through the cracks, they are launched into a trajectory of love, learning, and support.”

Over 40 organizations serving families in Chester County will be in attendance. Local representatives, including Senator Comitta, Senator Kane, Representative Sappey, and Representative Williams, will share the Senate and House initiative to expand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library statewide.

The day will begin at 10:00 AM with activities for children and resources for families until noon.

From 5- 8:00 PM, there will be additional resources for working families and an opportunity to meet community vendors.

At 7:00 PM, there will be a special announcement from our elected officials, followed by a reception.

Chris Manna, Executive Director of Kennett Library, said, “The Kennett Library supports lifelong learning. As part of this effort, we support starting our youngest learners with the necessary tools to thrive. These tools involve books in the home to promote literacy at the earliest of ages and to increase school readiness. The Imagination Library is a huge component of this readiness level.”

Kennett Library and AHHAH look forward to offering families this opportunity to learn about the local organizations that do vital work to support and enrich the community.

Arts Holding Hands And Hearts (AHHAH) is a nonprofit organization based in Kennett Square and serving communities throughout Chester County. AHHAH’s mission is to empower youth, strengthen families, and mobilize communities through literacy, mindfulness, and expressive arts, creating transformative opportunities to work toward equity and restorative justice. AHHAH’s programs increase resiliency and create positive pathways towards productive and fulfilling futures for youth by using mindfulness tools, artistic initiatives, and professional development training for staff. AHHAH works through multiple intentional strategies to offset the stressful effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

AHHAH’s community programs focus on the intersections between youth literacy and restorative justice. Recognizing that a lack of access to literacy resources in early childhood plays a significant role in youth incarceration and involvement with the justice system, AHHAH seeks to address this relationship through early literacy programs such as the Chester County Imagination Library (CCIL) and the Pop-Up Lending Library (PULL) campaign. AHHAH also focuses on restorative justice through its Filmmaking and Justice Restored programs, which elevate the creative voices of young people involved with the justice system in Chester County; and through Step Up, Step Out, Make A Difference, which teaches self-care and leadership skills to adolescent girls in Coatesville.

Learn more about Kennett Library, a regional public library open to all and serving the Townships of Kennett, East Marlborough, Pennsbury, Pocopson, Newlin, New Garden, West Marlborough and the Borough of Kennett Square. Kennett Library provides a place for the youngest to the oldest and everyone in between and serve people of all incomes, ages, and needs — for free. The Library’s mission is to ignite imagination, enrich lives, and create community with a vision to be the catalyst for a community of lifelong learning and discovery.