Immanuel Lutheran Church has donated $5,150 to support the Lewis County chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a program that mails new books to children every month at no cost to their families.
The program is free to all children ages 5 and under regardless of a family’s income.
The funds came from a large donation made to the church by Dr. Richard Phillips, a lifelong Centralia resident who died in 2019.
This is the second time Immanuel Lutheran has donated a similar amount to the Lewis County sector of the program, which is managed and supported by United Way of Lewis County and the Lewis County Rotary Foundation.
Roughly 2,400 kids in Lewis County ages 5 and under are currently receiving age-appropriate books through the program.
“We get regular testimonials from parents and grandparents how eager the kids are as they wait for the next book to show up in the mailbox,” said Anil Puri, treasurer of the Lewis County Rotary Foundation, in an email to The Chronicle.
Organizers are asking people to help ensure the financial sustainability of the program in Lewis County by signing up for $10 or $15 monthly donations. A $25 donation will sponsor one child for a year.
To donate, text "DOLLYBOOKS4KIDS" to 44-321 or visit www.lewiscountyuw.com/dolly-partons-imagination-library.
Signup forms to register a child for the program are available at a variety of local businesses and libraries in Lewis County. Families can also register online at https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/.
