A local charity called 100 Women Who Care CK has donated just over $11,000 to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Chatham-Kent.
The charity said it's important to support parents and their children by donating to the local expansion to inspire a love of reading in children.
The cheque was presented at a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent, which is a partner with the Dollywood Foundation of Canada, and shares Dolly’s vision to ensure that all children have books at home, regardless of their environment.
The club points out that a donation of $10,000 covers the cost of almost 2,500 books, ensuring that every young child has access to a home library for many years.
"Parents can support their child’s education and cognitive development by reading appealing books as part of their everyday routine," said the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent.
The Dollywood Foundation of Canada said it's grateful for the donation.
"We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from 100 Women Who Care CK to support the Imagination Library in Chatham-Kent," said Jeanne Smitiuch, Senior Regional Director of The Dollywood Foundation of Canada.
The Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent said over 1,100 children have received books in the mail each month since the partnership in 2022 at no cost to their families.
The club also noted that more than 80 per cent of the books are written or illustrated by Canadians and some have indigenous themes.
"Consistent with their focus on children and literacy, the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent commits to supporting each child enrolled in Dolly Patron’s Imagination Library from the time they register until their 5th birthday," said the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent.
According to the club, almost 900 children throughout 20 different communities in CK are currently receiving books and their goal is to expand that number as quickly as funds allow.
The Kiwanis Club said international research has found that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library closes the literacy gap after receiving just 10 books.
They noted Canadian children in the program were seven times more likely to demonstrate expressive vocabulary skills than their peers and credit the program for building family foundations.
