Here are two statistics that should make you proud to be a United Way of Northern Arizona supporter, courtesy of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL).
- Last month, the Imagination Library passed a remarkable milestone with 200 million books gifted to children since its inception in 1995!
- Then there’s this fun factoid – 1 in 10 children under the age of five in the United States receives Imagination Library books. That’s a lot of Little Engines that Could and Llama Llamas in Red Pajamas.
But the library that Dolly built isn’t just in the United States; it’s an international phenomenon, with programs in Australia, Canada, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Under the program, DPIL provides a carefully selected children’s book to children aged 0-5 once a month free of charge, delivered straight to their door, regardless of their family income. In some cases, these are the first books these children have ever owned.
The program is financed through community partners around the world. In Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties, that partner is United Way of Northern Arizona.
UWNA became a partner with DPIL to help families nurture a culture of literacy in our region. DPIL is not a charity or a social service; it is a gift to all preschoolers in a community that is financially supported through the United Way of Northern Arizona.
When families read to their children, they learn crucial auditory skills and how to “operate” a book. Building a home library encourages a lifelong love of reading that will strengthen and support these children in their academic careers.
Please step up for your community with a donation to UWNA to support Dolly Parton’s dream of greater literacy for our children. Thank you! |
