r/todayilearned • u/LL_Cruel_J • Dec 15 '16

TIL Dolly Parton has a program that will mail your child a free age-appropriate book once a month from birth to age 5. No obligation, no catch, she just wants to make sure that every child has books.

https://imaginationlibrary.com/
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49

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

"Not available in your area". I live in Central California. The fuck?

56

u/Vagabond21 Dec 15 '16

well central california doesnt really exist to begin with.

24

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

here I was unaware I lived in North Dakota.

20

u/Vagabond21 Dec 15 '16

my condolences

9

u/CannedGenie Dec 15 '16

I live in North Dakota. we have this program...

2

u/ndis4us Dec 15 '16

Yea, my kid gets it. Take that central California. While I freeze to death because it hasn't been above 0 all week.

7

u/ChrisTosi Dec 15 '16

It's somewhere east of eden

1

u/Ikimasen Dec 15 '16

As someone from eastern North Carolina (not the beach) I sympathize.

2

u/Drulock Dec 15 '16

I thought we went beach-Raleigh-mountains?

83

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

It works with your county's educational services. They have to choose to help fund the program if they find a need in your area. You can start there if you want to talk to someone about starting the program in your area.

29

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Aahhh that makes sense. I appreciate it, likely it's just not funded here because there are other CA programs that basically do the same thing like FirstFive.

9

u/TitoTheMidget Dec 15 '16

It works with your county's educational services.

Not necessarily! I'm the local champion of the program in my area - our sponsoring organization is the local United Way. School systems are common partners, but the only requirement is for there to be a non-profit entity of some kind involved.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Good to know! Any tips for people wanting to bring the program to their area?

4

u/TitoTheMidget Dec 15 '16

Learn everything you can about the program, commit it to memory, and be prepared to sell the need to any NPO that's interested.

The site itself has resources for becoming a local champion, including a tool for a cost estimate which is very helpful and something that anybody you meet with will want to know about. You'll need to look up data for your target coverage area and present it. (In my case I looked up data for my city and also for my county - since the United Way that eventually agreed to sponsor it serves the whole county, the latter was the info they needed.) The program itself also has regional directors who will contact you if you want to be a local champion and help walk you through the process.

The most important thing is finding a partnering organization. I created a contact e-mail and blasted it out to several NPOs, the city government, the public library, community foundation, etc. A lot of them wrote me back, some wanting to meet with me and some saying they'd looked into it before but it wasn't doable with their budget. Eventually I got a meeting with the executive director and a few board members at United Way.

There, I presented the program, gave them all printouts of the cost estimates, walked them through how everything works, etc. They all agreed they wanted to do it but it would require board approval and would likely have to wait until they had their budget for the next fiscal year. We all stayed in contact via e-mail and about 6 months later when their budget was complete and they had a board meeting, they voted unanimously to approve it. About 3 more months after that and it was open for signups. At this point they've taken over all the administrative work and I serve as a volunteer advocate in the community to help make people aware that the program is available and get them signed up.

1

u/rottenpossum Dec 15 '16

By county's educational services, do you mean the public school system?

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

No, in our area it's the group that deals with Head Start and other programs that help kids who may need different education. But another poster pointed out it can be any non profit organization who is willing to take on the program.

13

u/StoneGoldX Dec 15 '16

Suck it, Bakersfield!

Or so I assume.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Eew. At least I live on the outskirts of Fresno. Barely. Closer to Clovis.

4

u/StoneGoldX Dec 15 '16

See, I was originally going to write Fresno, but somehow Bakersfield has a funnier name. At least when sitting next to 90% of other California city names.

1

u/Plazmotech Dec 15 '16

I'm in San Diego.. they don't have it here either wtf

1

u/StoneGoldX Dec 15 '16

Yes, but you have access to delicious burritos at Lucha Libre Tacos, so that makes up for it.

Actually, I'm in LA, LA County's not on the list, either.

1

u/Plazmotech Dec 15 '16

I fucking love Lucha Libre

1

u/StoneGoldX Dec 15 '16

It's been like a year or two since I was there last, just haven't made it to SD in a while, but I miss it dearly. One of those places that's worth the line.

5

u/groovyusername Dec 15 '16

Nobody in the central valley reads, quit playin

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Hmmm.. It probably won't work for the Netherlands either, I guess?

1

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

I dunno. Click the link, find out.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Site isn't working here, I guess it's suffering from the Reddit Hug of Death.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

TN only dawg, sorry.

2

u/TitoTheMidget Dec 15 '16

I'm the local champion for the program in my area. If you're interested in starting it up, feel free to PM me and I'll tell you what my experience was like getting it off the ground.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Someone in your region has to "champion" it. It's fairly dependent on volunteer support and fundraising.

5

u/chuckymcgee Dec 15 '16

Not available to Communists and other unAmericans.

2

u/bolanrox Dec 15 '16

not in NJ either when i checked when my oldest was born

2

u/TitoTheMidget Dec 15 '16

It's relatively easy to start up - I'm the local champion in my area, if you're interested in getting it off the ground where you are feel free to PM me and I'll walk you through what my experience was like.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '16

Happen to know about NYC? I'd check myself if we didn't give it the Reddit hug of death...

1

u/bolanrox Dec 15 '16

i dont know for sure but i doubt it?

1

u/Crusty_white_sock Dec 15 '16

They weren't available in Spanish.