Dolly Parton’s children’s charity Imagination Library is expanding its outreach to the state of Alabama, according to Southern Living. Imagination Library is dedicated to giving children from birth through age 5 free books each month to foster a love of reading and grow their world. Parton shared a special statement thanking Alabama’s Governor Ivey for helping to bring the program to the state.
In her announcement of the program, Governor Ivey asserted the importance of literacy, and credited Imagination Library as a successful program that “gets kids reading. Governor Ivey said in a statement, “No matter what a child grows up to be, reading proficiently is simply critical,” adding that, “Our goal is to bring this program to all 67 counties, and we are well on our way to making that a reality.”
Imagination Library was founded in 1995 by Parton as a tribute to her father who could not read. The charity has already shipped more than 200 million books to kids. Southern Living recalls Parton once famously saying “If I’m remembered 100 years from now, I hope it will be not for looks but for books.”
On Imagination Library’s website, Parton shares an inspiring anecdote: “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”