Dolly Parton has had her fair share of Billboard hits in a long career as one of America’s most-beloved country western singers, but her greatest accomplishment maybe one of least known to her fans and admirers. That would be Imagination Library.
Started by Dolly in 1996, the Imagination Library provides free books to children from age one to five every month of the year. Nationally this is turning out to be almost one million children and in Talbot County that means over 1,000 kids each year participate.
Why the high number? Because of volunteers like Christy Morrell, who started the program, and her friend and tennis partner Francesca Wiseman. Christy, having pitched several services clubs to take on the project without success, decided one day to start the Talbot County Chapter with the help of friends from tennis. And within two years, they have reached 60% of the children in this age group living in Talbot.
In their Spy interview, Christy and Francesca talk about Imagination Library, the impact of reading at this age, and the group’s need for more volunteers to help recruit young parents and their young children to participate in the program.
This video is approximately six minutes in length
Imagination Library of Talbot County
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