ONTARIO, Ore. — The Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Malheur County is hosting a book sale to raise funds to send children up to 5 years old books for increased literacy.
Four Rivers Healthy Community, a nonprofit based in Ontario, Oregon is hosting a used book sale on March 2. The books are all priced at $1, and the funds go to providing children in Malheur, Payette and Washington counties books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.
The event will be held at the Payette Portia Club from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 2, and includes karaoke and light refreshments.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is an international program. The program is a "community book-gifting program devoted to inspire a love of reading in the hearts of children. Children, from birth to age five, are mailed a high quality, age-appropriate book monthly - free of charge to the family," a news release said.
The program started in Malheur County back in 2017, with the first books being mailed in February 2018. At that time, there were only 96 kids signed up, and the program was hosted through the Friends of the Library in Ontario, before being hosted by Four Rivers Healthy Community (FRHC).
FRHC is a nonprofit with a mission to "empower community partners focused on strengthening health, education, livability and leadership in the Western Treasure Valley."
After FRHC took leadership of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, they added Payette County in 2021, mailing books that January. Washington County was added to the program in February 2023, mailing books just one year ago.
As of Feb. 1, 2024, the book program had 1,670 registered kids from across the three counties. The goal of the program is to have 50% of the community, or more, in those ages registered for the program.
There are currently 843 children registered in Malheur County, which is 40% of the children under 5 years old. In Payette County, 666 children are registered, or 46%, and Washington County has 161, or 30%.
Kelly Poe, secretary of Four Rivers Healthy Community and Dolly Parton Imagination Library affiliate administrator, said signing up students is going well, but fundraising is the bigger hurdle.
Although the Dollywood Foundation covers most costs of the program, sending 12 brand new books a year to each child costs money. The book sale is in place to help cover the remainder of the funds needed. There is an associated cost to FRHC, which includes postage and cost of books, and fundraising is in place to help.
The used book sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 2 at the Payette Portia Club is open to anyone in the community.
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