SAN ANGELO, Texas — A literacy program started in 1995 by a country music legend in Sevier County, Tennessee, has blossomed into an international book-gifting program that has distributed millions of free books to children. Now that program is coming to the Concho Valley.
The United Way of the Concho Valley announced Friday a new partnership between United We Read and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The partnership will provide one free age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to children from birth to age five.
“The United We Read program has become a pivotal part of United Way of the Concho Valley and the highlight of our year. Adding this new partnership just made sense to continue to support our priority of ensuring all children are school-ready and grade-level readers by 3rd grade. It is crucial for children to have books at home to call their own to continue to foster a lifelong love of reading. We are so excited and thrilled about the future of United We Read, the Imagination Library, and the positive impact it will make in the years to come,” Ashley Ammons, United Way of the Concho Valley President/CEO, said.
The initiative will be available in 14 Concho Valley counties and households will be able to register children beginning in spring 2024.
The program is at no cost to families and the goal is to have children signed up at birth, ensuring by the age of five they will have a library of at least 60 books.
Here's where the community comes in.
You can sponsor a child to receive one free book per month. Anyone interested in supporting the program can visit liveunitedconchovalley.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library or contact the United Way of the Concho Valley at 325-949-3716 for more information.
