West Bend, WI – Emerging Leaders is rolling out its new program funded in part by the local United Way of Washington County. On Friday afternoon until 7 p.m. on N. Main Street as a group of volunteers sign up kids and families to be a part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and receive free books.
“We are excited to build awareness and enrollment in this new local book program,” said Katie Muth, co-chair of Emerging Leaders. “Our goal is to get as many children signed up and help them fall in love with reading. Emerging Leader volunteers are helping to spread the word to get children and parents excited about signing up.”
United Way of Washington County’s CEO Kristin Brandner said, “United Way of Washington County has partnered with the Dollywood Foundation to provide a free book to children ages 0-5. Parents/guardians can enroll their child and a free book per month will be delivered to their home.”
United Way of Washington County supports over 25 programs aligned under the pillars of Education, Financial Stability, and Health. The focus areas under the Education pillar are school readiness, early grade reading, middle school success and reading, and high school graduation.
School readiness is the first step on the path to a successful life. Children are born learning, and the critical period between birth and school can determine a child’s future. Ninety percent of brain development occurs before a child enters the classroom.
Early childhood literacy and reading aloud to kids are crucial for language development, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning. These activities strengthen cognitive skills, enhance vocabulary, and foster emotional bonds between children and caregivers. Early exposure to reading also significantly improves future academic success.
United Way of Washington County knows education is one of the building blocks for a successful life. That’s why they are committed to improving school readiness, promoting early grade reading and advancing personal development.
The launch of this new program coincides with the annual United Way campaign, which runs now through December 31. A portion of the campaign this year will help fund this new program at a cost of $26 per child for an entire year of books. To learn more, enroll a child and to make a donation, go to UnitedWayofWashingtonCounty.org.
“Emerging Leaders are dedicated to making a difference to improve lives and community conditions,” said Muth. “Anything Emerging Leaders can do to foster and inspire the love of reading will be the biggest impact our group will make yet for the community. It will be a long-lasting investment for generations to come!”
About United Way of Washington County
United Way of Washington County is a volunteer-driven organization that provides resources and solutions for health and human service needs in communities throughout Washington County, Wisconsin. With a focus on Education, Financial Stability, and Health, United Way’s mission is to improve lives and community conditions in measurable and lasting ways. For more information about United Way of Washington County’s work, or to join our fight to create meaningful, measurable and lasting change for people throughout our county, visit UnitedWayOfWashingtonCounty.org.
About United Way Emerging Leaders
Emerging Leaders is a team of professionals who actively invest their time, talent, and resources to improve our community. mission is to ignite and inspire one another by providing opportunities to lead, serve, and grow.
Letter from Dolly:
“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams. Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 1 million children. Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed. It’s been quite a journey, but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books. The first step is always the hardest, but you’ll never know unless you try…”
