847 Preschoolers Receiving FREE Books At First Anniversary of Imagination Library

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library marked its one year anniversary in Washington County the last week in October, but it has been a dream of the Washington County Youth Foundation since 2010. 847 preschool students are enrolled or have graduated from the program in that short year and the number grows every week. Next year, Washington County preschoolers will receive over 10,000 books in their mailboxes thanks to the generous sponsors of the program: Duke Energy, First Harrison Bank, First Savings Bank, Jason Wade State Farm Insurance, GKN Sinter Metals, Jean’s Extrusions, Telemedia, Kimball Office Team Members, and many individual sponsors.

The free service is open to all Washington County residents age five or younger. Once the child is enrolled, they will receive an age appropriate book every month in the mail. Families can register their child at any of our sponsors’ location. It only takes a couple of minutes to enroll. Children can enroll at any time, as long as they have not reached their fifth birthday.

“This program is the direct result of high school members of the Washington County Youth Foundation dreaming BIG,” stated Judy Johnson, Executive Director of the Washington County Community Foundation. “The Youth Foundation has been raising funds for this for several years, and the Washington County Community Foundation is the formal sponsor and manager of the program. Since this is an on-going program, we constantly need sponsors to make it happen. We project that our cost to maintain this program in 2017 will exceed $25,000.00. We can’t do it without sponsorship and we are grateful to the corporate and individual sponsors who make it happen.”

The cost to sponsor one child for an entire year is $26.00. If you would like to sponsor a child, please send a check to the Washington County Community Foundation at PO Box 50, Salem, IN 47167. You can also donate on-line at www.wccf.biz. All donations are tax deductible. For more information, contact the Foundation office at 812-883-7334.