United Way Enrolls 550 Whitley County Children In Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties is proud to announce that 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 fifth birthday.

Visit Dolly Tour

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.

A Champion For Reading

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. 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.” – Darren Bickel, United Way President

Enroll Your Child For Free

The monthly books grow with each child, from board books to picture books to full-length stories. United Way believes sitting on the lap of someone they love is the best place for children to learn how to read.

Children who are read to early in life have strong memories and larger vocabularies. Any child under 5 who lives in Whitley or Kosciusko County can enroll today at no cost to their family!