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Hertford Northampton Smart Start is among the first in this area to collaborate with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library’s book-gifting program for children from birth to age five.

“The mission of the program is to foster a love of reading in preschool children and ensure that every child has books, regardless of their family’s income,” said Stacey H. Henderson, executive director of Hertford Northampton Smart Start. “With partnerships like those with DPIL, we are working to ensure children develop a love of reading early on.”

As part of the program, a book is delivered to the child’s home each month at no cost to families who register. The program also provides children with some supplies, such as pencils, glue, paper and crayons.

Roanoke Electric Co-op is among a growing number of electric co-ops nationwide, showing their support for the Imagination Library.

“The co-op’s commitment to community extends to using our voice to share information about valuable community resources, especially those that serve to uplift our local youth,“ said Kirby Jordan, the co-op’s vice president of member communications “We are exploring future opportunities to lend further support to this worthy cause.”

In 1995, Dolly Parton launched initiative to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee. The endeavor has since expanded throughout the United States – promoting Parton’s vision to foster a love of reading in preschool children.

North Carolina’s Smart Start network, made up of 75 local partnerships that serve communities throughout the state, is collaborating with Dolly Parton’s Imaginary Library to broaden the initiative’s reach. While the program is not yet available in all parts of North Carolina, organizers are working to extend the offering statewide.

For more information about how the Imagination Library works in Hertford and Northampton counties, call 252-398-4124 or email shenderson@hnsmartstart.org to register. Learn more about DPIL by visiting https://imaginationlibrary.com/.