The Government Employees Health Association donated $15,000 to help grow Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Miami Lakes.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends free books to children around the world. It has operated for two decades in town, where it distributes titles to kids – from newborn to 5 years old – in families who have registered for the program. Household income is not a factor.
The donation, given at Town Hall on July 22, will go to the Imagination Library to be spent for the Miami Lakes account.
The library buys the books, determines which titles are appropriate for each child and ships them each month, said Clarisell De Cardenas, communications and community affairs director for Miami Lakes.
“Now that we have more funding, we’re able to heavily promote the program to the community to allow more children in Miami Lakes to participate,” she said.
So far, 639 children have graduated from the program that since 2015, has sent 18,460 books to residents, she said.
Currently, 247 kids are participating in the library, according to the town.
Raj Vavilala, the chief sales, marketing and product officer for G.E.H.A., said its gift will support 500 more young readers.
The nearly 90-year-old non-profit said it provides health and dental benefits to more than two million federal employees and military retirees, many of whom live in South Florida.
The ability to read and write, and a love of books from a young age, contributes to generational health, it said.
“As we go through our journey… one of our large objectives is helping to give back to the communities where our members live and serve,” Vavilala said. “We are very happy to do this. We are in our fifth city and our goal is to go nationwide…”
During the ceremony, members of the Miami Lakes Education Advisory Board described their efforts to promote the library and thanked G.E.H.A. for its support.
The donation “… will help shape the lives of our youngest residents for generations to come,” Vice Chair Jaquelin Ondar said.
Also attending were Town Manager Edward Pidermann; Mayor Josh Dieguez; Vice Mayor Bryan Morera; Council members Juan Carlos Fernandez and Steven Herzberg and from G.E.H.A, Hallie Bawel, corporate social responsibility coordinator.
To register a Miami Lakes child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, go to Tinyurl.com/4e9rkuuc.
To learn more about the program, go to ImaginationLibrary.com.