How Dolly Parton’s father inspired book mission
Dolly Parton, a renowned country music singer, passed away at the age of 80. Her philanthropic legacy was deeply rooted in her personal experiences and the challenges faced by her father, Robert Lee Parton. Parton's father never learned to read or write, which left him feeling ashamed and limited in his opportunities. This inspired Parton to create her most notable philanthropic effort, the Imagination Library.
The program, launched in 1995, provides free books to children from birth to five years old, with the goal of instilling a love for reading and combatting illiteracy. Since its inception, the Imagination Library has distributed over 270 million books to millions of children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.
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