Laurens County First Steps has initiated the 9 to 5 for Early Childhood Literacy community fundraising campaign to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The campaign aims to provide books to young children across Laurens County, including those in Clinton and the Thornwell District.
The initiative is building towards Dolly Parton Day on September 25, a date set to honor the artist’s dedication to early literacy and to raise the necessary local funds to ensure books continue to reach children’s homes. Since its local launch in fall 2023, the Imagination Library program has served over 2,300 children in Laurens County, distributing 28,441 books directly to their residences. Currently, approximately 1,600 children receive a new book each month.
Toni Able, Executive Director of Laurens County First Steps, emphasized the program’s impact, stating that each book represents an opportunity for families and caregivers to engage in reading together. Able noted the significant reach of the program but highlighted the ongoing need to ensure every eligible child in Laurens County has access to books at home.
The Imagination Library provides enrolled children with a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book monthly from birth through age five, without regard to family income. Each book costs Laurens County First Steps about $1.18. State funding, allocated by the South Carolina General Assembly, covers roughly half of this cost, making local fundraising essential to sustain the program.
Community members can support the 9 to 5 fundraising campaign in several ways. Options include a $5 donation, taking the $9 Challenge and encouraging five friends to participate, or contributing $32.40, which covers the approximate cost of providing books for one child for a year. A $95 gift celebrates the campaign, and any meaningful amount is welcomed. Donations can also be made in honor or memory of someone who inspired a love of reading, and supporters are encouraged to share the campaign with their networks.
Businesses are also invited to participate by sponsoring children, engaging their employees, and challenging other businesses to join the effort. Able underscored the importance of business investment in early childhood as an investment in Laurens County’s future workforce, noting that today’s book recipients will become tomorrow’s employees, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
Donations can be made online. The campaign’s overarching goal is to demonstrate the collective impact when a community unites to invest in its youngest members. On Dolly Parton Day, September 25, organizers encourage supporters to wear pink, share their favorite Dolly Parton songs and memories, post photos of children reading, and challenge others to donate, reinforcing the message that early literacy is a community responsibility.
