Pictured, from left, in the first row, are Ryan Gable, 9GB Tech; Michelle Slavicek, Vintage Blessed General Store; Jaqueline Tlahuetl, Bowen Center; Jennifer Esterline, Whitley County Chamber of Commerce; and Laura McDermott, Whitley County Consolidated Schools and United Way board member. In the back row, from left, are Tony Flanagan, Blue Moon Bakery; Darren Bickel, United Way; Jay Esterline, E Brewing & Esterline Farms; and Pete Allen, The Hilb Group and United Way board member. Photo provided by United Way.

Press Release

COLUMBIA CITY — United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties recently announced that 550 Whitley County children have been enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Once enrolled, a child receives a new book monthly, mailed directly to their home at no cost to their family until their fifth birthday.

To launch the Whitley County chapter, United Way partnered with the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce to organize local businesses to boost enrollment by participating in the “Visit Dolly” tour.

Each weekend, a business would host a life-size Dolly Parton cutout, give away sample books, and sign up children for the program. The results exceeded expectations.

United Way is the local champion for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In this role, United Way provides funding and enrollment support to ensure children gain access to books.

With over 2,300 children enrolled in Kosciusko County, the total number of children enrolled across the community is more than 2,850 children receiving a new book each month.

“Reading is the cornerstone to all learning,” said United Way President Darren Bickel. “We are working with area elementary schools to help every child be prepared to succeed in kindergarten. The first step is to make sure children grow up with plenty of books in their home.”

The monthly books grow with each child, from board books to picture books to full-length stories. United Way believes sitting on the lap of someone they love is the best place for children to learn how to read.

Children who are read to early in life have strong memories and larger vocabularies. Any child under five who lives in Whitley or Kosciusko Counties can enroll today at no cost to their family.