COLUMBIA CITY – United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties announced 550 Whitley County children have been enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Once enrolled, a child receives a new book monthly, mailed directly to their home at no cost to their family until their 5th birthday, according to a news release from United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties.
To launch the Whitley County chapter, United Way partnered with the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce to organize local businesses to boost enrollment by participating in the Visit Dolly Tour. Each weekend, a business would host a life-size Dolly Parton cutout, give away sample books, and sign-up children. The results exceeded expectations.
“Children are our future, and they deserve to know the world and the magic that can be found in a book,” said Jennifer Esterline, president of the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce. “Reading to our youngest generation can take them places that we could only dream of.”
United Way is the local champion for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. In this role, United Way provides funding and enrollment support to ensure children gain access to books. With over 2,300 children enrolled in Kosciusko County, the total number of children enrolled across the community is more than 2,850 children receiving a new book each month.
“Reading is the cornerstone to all learning,” said Darren Bickel, United Way president. “We are working with area elementary schools to help every child be prepared to succeed in kindergarten. The first step is to make sure children grow up with plenty of books in their home.”
The monthly books grow with the child, from board books to picture books to full-length stories. United Way believes the best place to learn how to read is sitting on someone’s lap. Children who are read to early in life have strong memories and larger vocabularies.
Any child under the age of 5 who lives in Whitley or Kosciusko County can enroll today at no cost to their family. Sign up at www.uwwk.org.