JAMES CITY COUNTY — Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library officially launched in the Greater Williamsburg area on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The DeGood Foundation is the home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Hampton Roads and provides free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children — between birth and age five — monthly.
“We inspire a love of reading that will lay the foundation for literacy and learning for a lifetime,” states the foundation’s webpage.
The well-attended ribbon-cutting celebration was hosted by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce and held at Frothy Moon Brewhouse.
Kyle DeGood, founder and Executive Director, offered a heartfelt thank you to everyone in attendance, “Not only for being here to enroll your children but for supporting us financially, or with volunteer hours, or just here to show support for this amazing program.”
This time last year, we launched the Imagination Library for the very first time in the Peninsula region. We just had one ZIP code in Newport News and one ZIP code in York County. We didn’t know if it was going to work. We didn’t know if people were going to want it but we knew it was important to get books into the hearts and hands of children all over the community.”
As the local program partner for the Imagination Library DeGood stated, “we are often referred to as ‘the best kept secret on the Peninsula.'”
DeGood shared that approximately 6,000 children a month currently benefit from The DeGood Foundation’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and he expects that number to rise to between 7,000 and 8,000 now that the program is launching in James City County and Williamsburg.
“We are thrilled and honored to finally have the opportunity to get books into the hands of children and really inspire a love of reading and make sure each child is ready for Kindergarten,” exclaimed DeGood.
Learn more online at The DeGood Foundation, where you enroll your child for books, volunteer or make a donation to the organization.
