What is Dolly Parton’s ‘Imagination Library’?
If Dolly Parton wanted to, she could be a billionaire; however, as a shining example of how stars should use their platforms, the country icon has never allowed her bank balance to run up that high as she gives such a huge proportion of her money away.
If you take a look at Parton’s Wikipedia page, the section dedicated to her music career is almost overshadowed by the paragraphs on paragraphs devoted to her philanthropic work. From the beginning, from the first moments she found fame and success, Parton has been passionate about giving back in any way possible, whether it simply be through supporting the lives and families of people who work with her, or even investing in some pretty astonishing side projects.
For one insane example, who would have thought that the person partially to thank for getting the Covid-19 pandemic under control would be Dolly Parton? But as the country singer donated a million dollars to the medical research facility working on the Moderna vaccine, and encouraged others to do the same, she funded the early stages of the vaccine development. It’s a huge matter of pride for her as she said, “I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this crazy pandemic.”
Of the many, many instances of the same, she donates all the profits from Whitney Houston’s cover of her mega-hit ‘I Will Always Love You’ to a low-income Black community in Nashville. As her way of honouring what Houston, as a Black artist, did for her, Parton bought property there, boosting the local economy and creating countless new jobs.
Beyond her straight-up charitable donations for several causes, the singer’s goodwill stretches far and wide. She provided $1,000 a month for six months to over 900 families affected by the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires. She sends the kids of her Dollywood employees to college, has donated over two million dollars to the Hurricane Helene relief fund, and, when it comes to her Imagination Library, Parton might just be responsible for the literacy of a whole world of kids.
What is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?
Dolly Parton’s story is a true rags-to-riches tale. In 1946, she was literally born in a cabin where her parents and her three younger siblings were living in one room. Her father, Robert Lee Parton Sr, was a sharecropper, and as he’d spent his whole live working out in the fields, he couldn’t read or write.
Her father’s intelligence, despite that, and the work of her family to ensure her and her siblings were educated, inspired Parton to no end; so, with her wealth, she wanted to work to ensure children from families of all backgrounds could read, and the Imagination Library was her solution. Families of all income backgrounds can sign up, and the scheme will send kids a book a month, from the time of their birth to their fifth birthday.
The impact of a scheme like that is immeasurable. It has now become a huge global project as well over 850,000 children are enrolled across the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and the Republic of Ireland, meaning that Parton is providing education, entertainment and, really, inspiration to so many. A book truly can change a child’s life, whether it is actually ensuring they can read, or simply sparking and igniting their imagination to dream for their future.
After launching in 1995, in 2018, she sent out her 100 millionth free book to give you a sense of scale. In 2023, they hit their 200 million, and by now, one in seven children in America is enrolled in the scheme, meaning that Parton is delivering books to 14% of American children.
Showing up all other wealth-hoarding celebs, Parton’s philanthropy is a reminder of how it should be done.
