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United Way to promote Dolly Parton Imagination Library at Business Expo

ALPENA — Most of us know who Dolly Parton is. We’ve heard her popular music, perhaps enjoyed her movie roles (especially “9 to 5” alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin), and you might have even visited the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. But most of us do not know that she was a 2022 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Award recipient. She received this honor for her many philanthropic acts during the pandemic, but mainly, she was honored for strengthening early childhood education through the gifting of free books worldwide by her Imagination Library.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Dolly is working hard to inspire a love of reading in future generations by gifting over two million books each month to children around the world. The United Way of Northeast Michigan is excited to be bringing this outstanding program to the children of Alpena County.

In June of 2022 this program was introduced in Alpena County by the United Way of Northeast Michigan allowing any child residing in Alpena County ages newborn to 5 to register and begin receiving a monthly free book mailed directly to their home. Registrations can be accomplished online at ImaginationLibrary.com or by completing a registration form and submitting it to the United Way office. Registration forms are available at the Alpena County Library, Michigan Health Dept. #4 and the United Way office at 108 Water St. in downtown Alpena.

This free program is available to all children 0-5 in Alpena County. Currently one in 10 children under the age of 5 in the U.S. now receives an Imagination Library book every month. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is entering its 28th year and includes 12 Statewide Program Partners and over 2,700 Local Program Partners (including the United Way of Northeast Michigan).

The introduction of this program was made possible with the support of Alpha XI Delta Kappa Gamma, Consumer’s Energy Foundation, Comstock Fund at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Perch’s IGA, Janice Melville, First Federal of Northern Michigan Legacy Foundation, John and Julie Kowalski, and the Besser Foundation. As of Feb. 1, 603 children have taken advantage of this free program and have registered.

The United Way of Northeast Michigan will be at the Alpena News Business Exposition on Saturday at the APlex answering questions regarding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and registering children in the program. Please stop by and find out more about this inspirational program.

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