Waco, TX — United Way of Waco-McLennan County announces a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an early literacy program that supports education success for young children and families in Waco and McLennan County.
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the world’s leading early childhood book gifting program. Each month, the program mails a free, age-appropriate book to every enrolled child from birth to age five, helping increase kindergarten readiness and foster a love of reading.
The Imagination Library of Waco was started in 2020 and is the local affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. As the local affiliate, the Waco program is responsible for enrolling children and funding the program. The Waco program has grown to serve more than 2,000 children each month within seven ZIP codes eligible to enroll.
United Way is committed to improving child well-being by supporting programs that strengthen families, enhance education and ensure access to essential resources. The partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library builds on that mission by expanding opportunities for families and young children in their education journeys.
“We are thrilled to partner with Imagination Library to reach even more children in our community. We deeply appreciate the team that launched Imagination Library in Waco in 2020 and has guided its growth since that time. They took the initiative and laid the foundation for its success today. Our dedicated United Way staff is passionate about serving families and supporting initiatives that strengthen education, so the Imagination Library will be in the best hands to continue growing,” United Way of Waco-McLennan County CEO Wendy Ellis said.
“United Way of Waco-McLennan County has been serving our community for more than 100 years, bringing together partners, donors and volunteers to create lasting change for children and families. With a long history of stewarding community programs, managing complex initiatives and ensuring accountability, United Way is well positioned to lead Imagination Library into its next chapter. We believe our deep local roots, strong infrastructure and commitment to early childhood success make United Way a trusted and capable organization to carry this important work forward for Waco’s youngest readers.” Ellis said.
Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father, whose inability to read and write inspired her to get more books into the hands of young children, igniting their love of reading and learning. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation. It reaches more children than any other early childhood book gifting program, and mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth until age five, regardless of the family’s income.
Dolly Parton’s vision continues to grow today:
- Spanning five countries, more than 2.4 million children are enrolled in the program
- Since 1995, over 200 million books have been gifted through the program
- Imagination Library of Waco serves seven ZIP codes, with plans to expand in 2026
The impact of the program has been widely researched, with results suggesting positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. The opportunities the Imagination Library provides are vital and should be valued in every community.To enroll a child or donate, visit https://imaginationlibrarywaco.org/.
About United Way of Waco-McLennan County
United Way of Waco-McLennan County has proudly served the community for more than 100 years. By uniting people, organizations and resources, United Way advances youth opportunity, builds a healthy community, strengthens financial security and supports community resiliency. Its mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community, ensuring every person in Waco-McLennan County has the opportunity to thrive. For more information, visit unitedwaywaco.org.
About Imagination Library of Waco
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 mailed well over 100 million free books in Australia, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.4 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 them to dream. For more information, please visit https://imaginationlibrarywaco.org/.
Imagination Library of Waco 