AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — United Way received a $10,000 donation from Walmart this week for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.
The program gives children a free book each month from birth until age five. Washington state previously matched funding for the program, but it was left out of the newest state budget.
“We want all of our kids to be literate, educated and be successful. That’s going to help us all thrive,” said Clinton Slovarp, Market Manager for Walmart.
United Way President Dan Dent had warned in March that without new funding, June would be the last month for book deliveries. The Walmart donation extends the program through July while United Way looks for long-term funding.
Geoff Eastman enrolled his two daughters in the program over a year ago.
“We got signed up almost immediately…and we’ve loved it,” Eastman said. “They’re kind of spot on. And it’s kind of a wide variety of different books too. Ones that we probably would never looked into getting.”
His five-year-old and two-year-old daughter receive age-appropriate books in their mailbox each month.
“The girls are always super excited whenever we go to the mailbox. They’re like ‘Did I get a book? Did I get a book?’ And then when they do, it’s kind of like, go home and open it up right away,” Eastman explained.
Lesa Arrison, Library Supervisor at Airway Heights Library, stressed the importance of early reading.
“It’s a skill that you need for the rest of your life. So inspiring that early is so important for our children,” Arrison said.
The Imagination Library has spread mostly through word of mouth among families. The books are chosen to match each child’s age and development.
Walmart is encouraging other businesses to help support programs like this one. Meanwhile, United Way continues searching for stable funding to keep the program going.
For now, children can still enjoy their monthly books.
Governor Ferguson signed the 2025-2027 budget into law on Tuesday, which did not include funds for the Imagination Library.
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