Jolene Ion (pictured above), the daughter of Kenny and Kimberly Ion, of Cooperstown, received the 20,000th book.

Jolene is one of 725 children signed up for the Imagination Library and gets her books on a monthly basis, free of charge, through the United Way of Venango County.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is available to local children ages zero through five. Once the child reaches their fifth birthday, it’s assumed they will be enrolled in Pre-K or Elementary School.

Each and every child receives one free, high-quality book, per month. The books are delivered to the child’s home in the child’s name.

Kimberly Ion said, “The kids really love getting something in the mail, and they love the books they receive every month.”

All books have been preselected by early childhood education-literacy experts and are therefore age and developmentally appropriate. There is no cost for a family to enroll their child or children and the books are absolutely free on behalf of local donors, grants, and United Way funding designated to this program.

Ion said, “I think this is a wonderful program and so happy to be part of it.”

“We try to read to our children daily, or our oldest son Will reads to us,” added Ion.

United Way is proud to announce that since the start of Imagination Library in 2014, 464 children have graduated out of the program when they reached their fifth birthday.

Will Price, Executive Director of the United Way of Venango said, “It’s amazing how many children are being impacted and being touched by such life changing program.”

Books can make a huge impact in a young child’s life. Just imagine if every child could enter school with a love for reading and learning. Basic knowledge and skills (like recognizing letters, numbers, colors, shapes, how to hold a book, etc.) can lead to a generation of successful learners.

Now envision that a child becomes successful thanks to you, whether it is a child you know or someone you pass on the street, you can make that difference by partnering with United Way of Venango County and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Price said, “We all have a stake in our community. By starting with early childhood education, we can help all parents help their children to learn, grow, and be successful.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have sponsored our DPIL Program, to date. This program cannot run without all the support from the local community. All donations go directly toward providing books at an annual cost of $30 per child each year.”