“Give Like Dolly Day” (Friday, Sept. 25) Encourages Making a Difference in a Child’s Life

Friday (Sept. 25) is Give Like Dolly Day.

The Dollywood Foundation says the global day is dedicated to supporting local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Programs and honoring Dolly’s legacy of inspiring children to dream big and develop a lifelong love of reading. As Dolly often said, “If you can read, you can do anything, dream anything and be anything.” 

At the heart of Give Like Dolly Day are the thousands of Local Imagination Library Partners around the world, including United Way of North Central Iowa, who help carry Dolly’s mission forward in their own communities. 

Dolly often called these partners the “true heroes” of her program by ensuring children from birth to age five in their communities can receive a free, high-quality book mailed directly to their home each month. 

New Hampton Public Library participates in the Dolly Parton book program, which Library Director Carrie Becker says has had an immeasurable effect.

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Give Like Dolly Day shines a spotlight on these partners and encourages communities to rally around them and help children where they live.

United Way of North Central Iowa is working to expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and provide 500 more local children with the gift of reading in Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Kossuth, Mitchell, Winnebago, and Worth Counties.

For just $31, you can provide one child with 12 free, age-appropriate books; one book delivered to their home every month for an entire year, helping a child build their own home library and develop a love of reading,  learning, and imagination with the people who matter most.

To donate visit UnitedWayNCI.org or mail your donation to United Way of North Central Iowa, PO Box 1465, Mason City, IA 50402.

“For Dolly, giving was always personal and from her heart,” said Jeff Conyers, President of The Dollywood Foundation. “She believed deeply in helping people, especially children, and she always felt if you are in a position to help, you should help.  Give Like Dolly Day is an opportunity for people everywhere to not only support their local Imagination Library Partners but also other local nonprofits helping children.”

Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write. What began in her home county in East Tennessee has grown into the largest, early childhood book-gifting program in the world, serving children and families through these local partnerships in five countries: U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland.