Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Gifts Children’s Books In Wyoming
Dolly Parton had one goal when she began the non-profit "Imagination Library:" Make sure children have books to engage with before they begin school. It's a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school.
Launched in 1995, originally the only books were distributed in Parton's home county of Tennessee, but it grew quickly and now has affiliates all over the country, including several in Wyoming.
“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done," Dolly said in a letter on the Imagination Library website. "Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission... Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books."
Six places are listed in Wyoming as providing for children in their communities:
Carbon County School District in Rawlins.
Children's Learning Center in Pinedale.
Children's Resource Center in Thermopolis.
Converse County School District in Douglas.
United Way of Southwest Wyoming in Rock Springs, which also covers Fremont County.
WREN Foundation in Sheridan.
You can always donate to the Imagination Library to help them expand their facilities and offer books to more children in the world. If anyone in the community wants to start an affiliate program, the link is here. With only six counties out of 23 covered, we could use a few more in the Cowboy State.