United Way of Westchester and Putnam (UWWP) is announcing an exciting new partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, providing free, age-appropriate books delivered monthly directly to children’s homes. This program will be announced at a press conference on Thursday, November 13, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the White Plains Housing Authority.
Currently, this program is available to residents of White Plains, Port Chester, and Peekskill, thanks to a $49,000 grant from the New York State Library and matching funds secured by United Way of Westchester and Putnam. For the first time in 2025, the New York State Legislature appropriated $500,000 through the New York State Library within the New York State Education Department in grants to support local partners of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation has gifted well over 170 million free books in Australia, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring children to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched, and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
“We are thrilled to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Westchester County. This program gives children the gift of reading and fosters a lifelong love of books from an early age,” said Tom Gabriel, CEO and President of United Way of Westchester and Putnam.
Program Details:
- Eligibility: Children must be under 5 years old. When a child turns 5, they age out of the program.
- Service Area: Must reside in the following zip codes:
- White Plains: 10601, 10602, 10603, 10604, 10605, 10606, 10607 or 10610
- Port Chester: 10573
- Peekskill: 10566
- Cost: Completely FREE
- Duration: Children receive books monthly until their 5th birthday
For launch questions contact Ali Glass at 914-993-3705.
Visit www.uwwp.org, to learn more.
