A lasting Dolly Parton legacy: childhood literacy

Sevierville, a town in east Tennessee, is the hometown of country music icon Dolly Parton. For nine-year-old Zenaida, it was the Imagination Library book donation program created by Parton that had the most significant impact on her life. Parton's childhood literacy-focused program, which delivers free books to children from birth until age five, was inspired by the lack of education her father faced growing up in rural Tennessee.

The program has reached millions of children worldwide, including Kendal Manning's two young boys. Manning's boys have received Imagination Library books since birth, and she credits the program for its positive impact on their lives. Parton, who passed away at 80, was renowned for her music but remembered locally for her charitable work and care for young people.

Her non-profit foundation continues to operate the Imagination Library, which now distributes 3.4 million books per month to children up to age five. The program has the support of various local groups and publishers, and the foundation funds its operations. Parton's commitment to literacy stemmed from her own father's illiteracy, which she believes kept him from achieving his dreams.

The Imagination Library has been praised for its impact, with 300 million books gifted since its inception. The program has expanded to Australia, Britain, Canada, and Ireland, reaching even remote areas like Bethel, Alaska. Zenaida's mother, Katy Allis, brought her children to the Parton memorial to honor the woman who changed their lives, expressing her appreciation for the program's importance in their community.