The United Way of West Central Mississippi and Excel By 5 made a presentation to the Parent Resource Center at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library on July 28.

Sensory toys geared toward children with special needs were donated by Excel By 5 and the United Way provided bags for the library’s story kits, which are comprised of a book and a corresponding plush toy for children.

“We are deeply grateful for the support given to the WCVPL by the United Way and Excel By 5,” WCVPL children’s librarian Marie Cunningham said. “They (the United Way) have supported us in the 10 years I have been at the library without any hesitation.”

The Parent Resource Center is a collaboration between the library and Excel By 5 and was created in 2018. Cunningham said it continues to be an ongoing project which provides parents in the Vicksburg community access to educational materials for their children from birth to age 5.

The resource center is located on the lower level of the library, and anyone with a library card is eligible to check out story kits and/or sensory toys.

Michele Connelly, who is the executive director of the UWWCM, said Excel By 5 is a coalition of people who want to see children in the Vicksburg community excelling before they enter kindergarten.

To assist in this endeavor, Connelly said, Excel by 5 partners with the Vicksburg Warren School District because it already has preschools in the school district and because the school district knows what skills will be needed before children enter kindergarten.

“So it’s this coalition’s responsibility to make sure that we are sharing that with parents and that we are sharing that with early education centers,” Connelly said.