PLATTSBURGH — Dolly Parton’s philanthropic arm reaches from Dollywood to the North Country.
Her “Imagination Library” resonated with Literacy Volunteers of Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties, and now they distribute a free book every month to children from birth to 5 years in those counties.
“Dolly Parton has what she calls an Imagination Library,” Alice Sample, founder of Journey Into Reading, said.
“She gives a free book once a month to every child born in Tennessee until they are 5. The idea is to get them to have a library by the time they are finished. They send them age appropriate books.”
Parton made all of her resources available to anybody willing to get money together to buy the books for the program.
“She couldn’t afford to buy all of the United States,” Sample said.
“So, we are doing this here in the North Country,” Sample said.
“We are giving every child born in those counties a free book once a month until they’re 5.”
Sponsors are: Adirondack Young Professionals, Adirondack Foundation, Birth to Three Alliance, Chapel Hill Foundation, Charles R. Wood Foundation, Stewart’s Shop/Dake Family, and the United Way of the Adirondack Region.
For more information, contact Jocelyne Erkenbeck at 518-564-5332 or email jocelyneQ@lvcef.org or mail: P.O. Box 2864, Plattsburgh, NY 12901.