Bradley County EHC clubs support Warren Public Library summer reading program
July 20, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- EHC clubs donated more than 100 handmade items as summer reading prizes
- 15 club members made book bags, pillows, lap quilts, bookmarks and more
- Participants included children from 3-12 years old, met twice a week in June and July
(769 words)
Download photos from summer reading program event
WARREN, Ark. — More than 60 lucky children from Bradley County are the proud new owners of handmade book bags, pillows, lap quilts and more — their reward for participating in the Warren Public Library summer reading program.
“Everyone is excited,” said Julie Hamilton, branch manager of the Warren Public Library. “Boys and girls, from the oldest to the youngest and their parents, love these items. Children love things that are their own to start with, and these were made just for them, with them in mind.”
At the start of this year, 15 members of three Bradley County Extension Homemakers Council clubs got to work hand-sewing and quilting more than 100 items to be given as rewards to Warren Public Library summer reading program participants. The clubs included the Bradley Block Builders, the Block of the Month Club and the Twisted Stitchers.
Hamilton and library staff distributed book bags, pillows, lap quilts, pillowcases and bookmarks to 67 participants on July 16.
Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council is a program of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach and education arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The volunteer organization, which has more than 3,000 members statewide, focuses on lifelong learning, leadership development and community service.
Alayne Zimmerly, a member of all three participating EHC clubs, said the idea to support the summer reading program came after the library displayed EHC’s Christmas quilt, which members make and sell in a fundraising raffle each year.
“Last year, we thought, ‘Oh, the library has really helped us out, so let’s do something for them,’” Zimmerly said. “My original goal was 20 of each item, but our members surpassed all my expectations. Once we got started, we just had a ball. It felt so good to make something fun that serves a purpose.”
“They made so many things that every child that comes will be able to leave with one of these beautiful handmade pieces,” Hamilton said. “I just couldn’t believe how much stuff these women brought in — it was amazing.”
Supporting the community, encouraging readers
Hamilton said the theme of Arkansas’ statewide Collaborative Summer Library Program this year was “Unearth a Story.” At the Warren Public Library, participants met on Tuesdays and Thursdays in June and July to read stories about dinosaurs, archaeology and technological inventions throughout history and present day.
“We try to make the children familiar with books, and with every story that we read, we encourage them to check these books out,” Hamilton said. “Then they’re always so excited to get the books at the end of the program to take home.”
Hamilton said that, on average, about 35 children participated each day of the program, with participants ranging in age from 3 to 12 years old.
Zimmerly said that for Bradley County EHC members, supporting the summer reading program aligned seamlessly with their goals.
“As an EHC group, our purpose is to support the community,” Zimmerly said. “Some of the other things we do are to help food banks, kitchens and pantries, so we try to interact with organizations and other partners that are helping people in our community. It excites me to do anything that supports reading for children, and I think a lot of our members feel that way.
“Most of us are grandmothers, some of us are great-grandmothers, and doing things for children is special for us,” Zimmerly said. “It is a treat to make something that will last, something that will help a child remember, ‘I got this at the library, and reading was fun.’”
The project also helped club members improve their sewing and quilting skills, Zimmerly said.
“I could see growth in our beginner sewers, just being able to work on these smaller projects,” she said. “It was gratifying to them. It built up their confidence in their sewing skills and what they could do. I had some who made quilts for this project who had never completed a quilt before.”
Hamilton said she and library staff are grateful to the EHC members for their support of the summer reading program and how they were able to bring members of the community together.
“Everybody who participated can say, ‘I contributed fabric to that,’ or ‘I donated some thread and had a hand in making a child happy,’” Hamilton said. “And it made me want to join their club. That’s what it does — it pulls us in. We’re already a close community, but this makes us even more close.”
Visit the Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council webpage to learn more about the organization, or contact your local county extension office for information about clubs in your area.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061