Pictured above from left to right – Suzanne Metcalf (PFC Board Member/Polk County), Cassandra Whiteside (Dolly Parton Imagination Library Coordinator) and Skip Taylor (President, Tryon Rotary)
Partnership for Children of the Foothills and Rotary Club of Tryon
Unite to Bring Little Libraries to Polk County Communities
February 28, 2021 (Tryon, NC) – Partnership for Children of the Foothills is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Rotary Club of Tryon to introduce “Little Libraries” throughout Polk County. The goal of the project is to make books accessible to children and adults. The first Little Library for children was recently installed at Harmon Field.
Partnership for Children of the Foothills is combining its long relationship with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the Rotary Club’s strong association with Reading is Fundamental to ensure the libraries remain filled with books to engage young readers.
“We are so pleased to partner with Rotary Club of Tryon on the Little Libraries project,” said Cathy Brooks, Partnership for Children of the Foothills programs director. “This is one more way we can encourage parents and caregivers in Polk County to read to their children 15 minutes a day from birth to help prepare them for reading, learning and success in school.”
The project began when the Rotary Club acquired wooden shells for the cabinet-style libraries, and members hand painted them with bright, cheerful designs to attract children. With the success the Harmon Field installation has experienced, the club plans to add Little Libraries in Sunnyview, Green Creek and East Tryon. The Sunnyview library also will include an adjoining Little Library for adults.
“It is wonderful to join with Partnership for Children of the Foothills and combine our affiliations with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Reading is Fundamental to bring the joy of reading to our community,” said Skip Taylor, Rotary Club of Tryon president. “We believe encouraging families to read together is one of the best ways to facilitate a life-long love of reading and positive relationship building within families.”
About Partnership for Children of the Foothills
With support from NC Smart Start Initiative, Partnership for Children of the Foothills provides programs for children ages 0-5 and their families in the areas of Child Care/Education and Family Support. The Partnership builds and sustains relationships with community agencies and service providers, offering creative and unique programs for preschool children and their families, licensed childcare centers and family childcare. For more information, visit: PFCFoothills.org
About Rotary Club of Tryon – Club #6406
Rotary Club of Tryon is an organization of active and retired business and professional leaders within the community. Its purpose is fellowship and service. It has a president and a board of directors who are elected annually. Club members are adults of good character and reputation who are or were prior to retirement, proprietors, partners, corporate officers, managers, executives, or leaders of a business or profession. For more information, visit: http://rot
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income. After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly. The first books were only distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee, where Dolly grew up. It became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was launched. Today, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has given away 150 million books nationally and internationally. For more information, visit: https://imaginationlibrary.com/
About Reading is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to make an impact and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s largest child
ren’s literacy non-profit, Reading Is Fundamental maximizes every contribution to ensure all children have the ability to read and succeed. For more information, visit: https://www.rif.org/
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