Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Literacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chainbreakers reports 579 children enrolled in Imagination Library, urges continued city support
Summary
Chainbreakers founder Dr. Rhonda Alexander told council that 579 local children are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and that the nonprofit’s reading-enrichment program served 127 students this year across four schools; she asked for continued budget support to expand services.
Dr. Rhonda Alexander, founder and CEO of Chainbreakers, told Portsmouth City Council on May 12 that the nonprofit has enrolled 579 children from birth to age 5 in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Portsmouth and that its Reading Enrichment Program (REP) served 127 students across four elementary schools this school year.
Alexander described REP as a four-day, after-school phonics-based program serving kindergarten through sixth grade students who need targeted reading support. She said nearly every participating student showed improvement in decoding and reading unfamiliar words. Chainbreakers also runs food-access programming (Nurse Neighbors) that provides meals in partnership with Mercy Chefs and groceries with the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore; since the program started she reported more than 1,200 meals provided and projected at least 1,000 additional meals by the end of 2026.
Why it matters: Early literacy interventions and food-access programs target children’s learning readiness and basic needs. Alexander said the organization aims to enroll 1,000 Portsmouth children in the Imagination Library by the end of 2026 and to expand REP to eight elementary schools next school year, eventually serving all 13 elementary schools.
Council reaction: Council thanked the organization and noted Chainbreakers was included among organizations selected for support in the budget cycle. No additional council action was taken during the meeting beyond public acknowledgment.
Provenance: Public comment by Dr. Rhonda Alexander (SEG 660–SEG 752).
