Portland, Oregon: United Way of the Columbia-Willamette has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to ensure that every child under five years of age in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties now has access to free books. This transformative partnership delivers age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes every month, removing barriers to access, increasing literacy rates, and fostering family engagement through the joy of reading.
“We believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and literacy is a cornerstone of that success,” said Kelly O’Lague, President and CEO of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. “This collaboration builds on our commitment to early education by fostering a love of reading and empowering parents and guardians as their child’s first teacher. Together, we’re opening doors for 67,000 children to a brighter future, one book at a time.”
“Fewer than 40% of Oregon third graders are reading at benchmark. One of the most effective ways to increase literacy rates is for children to be introduced to books and reading at an early age,” said Laurie McNichols, State Director for Imagination Library of Oregon. “Imagination Library makes that possible by mailing books directly to enrolled children from as early as birth until the month of their 5th birthday. But, without Local Program Partners like United Way of the Columbia-Willamette to administer the program in their community, it simply doesn’t happen. We are delighted that UWCW chose to join the seven existing partners in the tri-county area (and 48 other partners across the state), putting high-quality, age-appropriate books in the hands of Oregon children at no cost to their families.”
This new partnership further strengthens United Way’s leadership in early learning throughout the region and deepens connections with families and educators. By working with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, United Way can ensure children under 5 can receive books at no cost to families, empowering them to achieve reading readiness by kindergarten—a crucial milestone for lifelong success.
In May, legislation was passed in Oregon to create a statewide initiative to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to more families across the state. The initiative provided $1.7 million in funding to match 50% of the costs for Local Program Partners and created two leadership positions to oversee the program’s statewide expansion. Laurie McNichols, State Director, and Kaylee Chrystal, Community Engagement Coordinator, were selected and began their roles in July. At the program’s launch, families in 30 counties could enroll, with the remaining six counties working to expand coverage.
This partnership brings Oregon closer to full statewide coverage. Recently, Polk and Deschutes counties expanded their programs, allowing families in these areas to enroll. Now, families in 35 of Oregon’s 36 counties can access the Imagination Library, with the final area remaining being Douglas County with partial coverage.
To learn more about becoming a community partner, contact Kaylee Chrystal at [email protected] or visit www.imaginationlibrary.com.
The United Way of Columbia-Willamette plans to host a three-part celebration in the new year to celebrate the arrival of the Imagination Library in each of the Portland tri-counties.
To learn more, contact Laurin Bello at [email protected] or visit www.unitedway-pdx.org.
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 257 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community and Local Program Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five – at no cost to families. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More.
The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.
About United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
For over 100 years, the United Way of the Columbia Willamette has been dedicated to breaking the cycle of childhood poverty and improving the lives of families in our region. By mobilizing the community and partnering with schools, government, businesses, and nonprofits, UWCW works to provide every child with a strong start in life and every individual the opportunity to thrive.
