THE STORYBOOK PROJECT AT NORTH CENTRAL UNIT PRISON/CALICO ROCK

A man is reading Pinocchio to his son. The boy is miles away, and the man is reading into a digital recorder. He is an inmate in a state prison. The Storybook Project will mail the book and the recording to the child. The goal is “to keep families connected through reading.”

Warden David White has invited The Storybook Project to the North Central Unit in Calico Rock. He predicts about 200 inmates will want to participate each year.

The Storybook Project/North Central Unit will hold its first meeting
Thursday, July 21, 6:00 p.m.
Calico Rock Cumberland Presbyterian Church
692 Highway 56E

Pat Oplinger of Cherokee Village will discuss the program her group has run at the Newport Correctional Facility for the past thirteen years. Warden White and Accreditation Specialist Gary Teague will discuss how the program will be implemented at the North Central Unit.

Susan Varno has volunteered to start this new program. “The Storybook Project is a way for people in Izard, Baxter and Stone Counties to thank the prisoners for the work they have done in our communities: cleaning up after the ice storm and floods, repairing city streets, helping rebuild the Wolf House and more.”

If The Storybook Project completes 100 recordings twice a year, the Project must raise about $2000 annually. Initially they will have to raise an extra $1500 to buy digital recorders and at least 300 books.

At the meeting, committees will be set up for fundraising, book buying, making the recordings at the prison and mailing the books and recordings. Anyone from Baxter, Izard or Stone County interested in this project should attend the meeting or contact Susan Varno at svarno@hughes.net or 870-297-4223.