EVERETT—Over 10,000 Snohomish County children are now receiving free books delivered to their home every month, thanks to United Way of Snohomish County and their partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. United Way of Snohomish County (UWSC) launched their partnership in June of 2023, with books being shipped to families beginning in August of 2023.
The Imagination Library delivers high quality and age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, every month until their fifth birthday. There is no cost to the families, but parents must register their children in order to be enrolled in the program. Once registered, books will begin arriving within 8-12 weeks.
“This is big milestone to celebrate! We are excited that so many of our youngest neighbors and earliest learners are receiving these books, creating a lifelong love of reading along the way,” said Maya Hemachandra, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of UWSC. “We are grateful to all of our supporters for investing in early education and helping us build a stronger community.”
Through the partnership, almost 60,000 books have been delivered so far to local children in Snohomish County, with 38,000 of those being delivered since January alone. The program ensures that children have access to books and opportunities to read at home, no matter their income level. The books also provide opportunities for children and their parents or caregivers to bond by reading and spending time together.
“Our intention when launching this partnership was to ensure that we continued to find new ways to uphold our mission of serving families with young children in our community,” said Hemachandra. “We know that access to early literature prior to entering kindergarten is incredibly important for long term success in school and life. We couldn’t be happier that over 10,000 children are benefiting from this program every month.”
UWSC projects that over 100,000 books will be mailed to local children in Snohomish County by early summer. Families not currently enrolled in the program or those interested in additional information can learn more by visiting www.uwsc.org/freebooksforkids.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
