United Way of Logan County Expands Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Kids in New Holland-Middletown

 

[September 25, 2020] 

Thanks to a grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, the United Way of Logan County, partnering with the Hartsburg-Emden School District was able to offer the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to that community this summer. Currently, 29 children are receiving the books monthly delivered to their homes.

Thanks to the generous support of the Hartsburg-Emden community’s program by local businesses, churches and individuals, we are now able to expand the program to children in the New Holland –Middletown communities using some of the original grant money. Our intention is to continue to grow this program throughout Logan County.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program that mails free books each month to registered children from birth to age five in participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland. There is a cost per year per child of just $25 for all 12 books including shipping and handling.

Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write Dolly started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county. Today, her program spans four countries and mails over 1 million free books each month to children around the world. The purpose of this program is to provide books in the home to encourage a love of books, reading and learning and positively affecting readiness for school for kids.

According to the National Commission on Reading, “The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.”

Parents that would like to register their pre-schoolers (age 0 – 5) that live in Hartsburg, Emden, New Holland or Middletown may register them online at https://tinyurl.com/yaja3k4u  or contact the United Way of Logan County at 217-735-4499.

Anyone that would like to sponsor a Logan County child for a year at $25, or multiple children, please donate at https://www.uwlogancountyil.org/
civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=
1&id=21  . Checks may also be mailed to United Way of Logan County P.O. Box 684 Lincoln IL 62656.

All donations to this program will be designated to this program and will not affect the United Way of Logan County’s other grant programs to local non-profit agencies.

[Patti Becker
Administrative Director
The United Way of Logan County]