One million books have been delivered to Onslow County children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
One Place, previously known as the Onslow County Partnership for Children, announced the milestone that reflects the nonprofit’s commitment to early childhood education and the belief that every child deserves access to books at home, said Molly McCabe, One Place marketing and communications manager.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails new, age-appropriate books to the homes of registered children each month until their 5th birthday, at no cost to the family.
Parton created the program to honor her father and other family members who struggled with literacy.
One Place brought the program to Onslow County in 2011 through a collaboration with the United Way of Onslow County, The Rotary Club of Jacksonville and Golden Corral, McCabe said.
Since then, more than 40,800 local children have received books.
“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library started with the goal of ensuring children in Sevier County, (Tennessee), built home libraries, were successful in school and loved reading,” said Lisa Davis, One Place early literacy coordinator. “These are the same goals we have for the children of Onslow County.
“One million books have been grabbed from mailboxes, anxiously opened and shared as bedtime stories. Here’s to the next million. It’s amazing the difference we can make, one book at a time.”
In 2017, the N.C. General Assembly stepped in to fund Dolly Parton’s Imaginary Library, ensuring every child in North Carolina had the opportunity to enroll in the program.
Th funding recently changed, though, so community support is essential to ensure the program remains available to Onslow County children, McCabe said.
“From the first book that came in the mail, (my son) was hooked,” said Sara Cariaso, parent and annual fund coordinator for One Place. “Even before he could talk, he would flip through the pages with wide eyes, babbling as if he understood the stories.
“When (he) started kindergarten, he was already recognizing sight words and sounding out simple sentences. His teachers noticed. He was confident, curious and eager to learn – and I know the Imagination Library played a big role in that foundation.”
Families interested in enrolling their children in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library can visit www.oneplaceonslow.org/dpil for more information. Enrollment is subject to funding availability.