Imagination Library seeing influx of donations locally following death of Dolly Parton
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – People across the world are honoring Dolly Parton’s legacy, and one major part of her legacy is her Imagination Library.
The United Way of Southern Kentucky runs the Imagination Library for Warren and surrounding counties.
The program, started by Dolly, mails a book right to your mail box once a month.
“She started the Imagination Library to honor her father, who couldn’t read. He was such a smart man, but he wasn’t afforded opportunities because he never learned to read. And so she did that to honor him. And so I think people are taking that and they are honoring her in death as she honored her father on his deathbed to say, this is how I can give back to the community in honor of Dolly,” said Hannah Gray with the United Way.
Gray says the Imagination Library coming to Kentucky was one of the most significant programs for education the area has seen.
“Many of the children that enter our public school system are not ready to benefit from the classroom. They may have never opened a book before, and so it is so meaningful that they have a chance to interact with books before they get to the classroom,” said Gray.
Through studies done, children enrolled in the program have a higher level of literacy going into kindergarten than children without access to the free books, according to one of the many people responsible for getting the program launched in Kentucky, Angela Bellinger.
“You could see a significant difference in how much better prepared kids were for kindergarten when they had gotten Dolly Parton Imagination Library books,” said Bellinger.
This is just one way that Dolly’s legacy is living on following her death.
“When we can change the trajectory of a child’s life by helping them become lifelong readers and learners, like, that is a game changer. And, she is a perfect example that where you come from does not define where you can go or what you can become,” said Bellinger.
Since her passing, the United Way of Southern Kentucky has seen a major influx of donations to the local program.
“We’ve had an outpouring of donations. It’s been amazing. They are actually, they’re coming into the national server and we’re getting emails. There’s another donor from Metcalf County. There’s another donor for Hart County. So it’s been really amazing,” said Gray
“Thank you, Dolly,” said 4-year-old book recipient, Quinn.
A donation of $35 pays for books for one child for an entire year.
Children can enroll in the program from birth to 5 years old.
United Way of Southern Kentucky stated the following on social media:
“Dolly Parton’s impact has reached far beyond the stage — and we see that impact right here in Warren County and communities across Southern Kentucky, including Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, and Monroe counties. Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children in our region are gaining access to books at an early age, helping families build strong reading habits and giving kids a stronger foundation for learning before they ever enter a classroom.”
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