DETROIT — A new partnership is bringing thousands of free books to Detroit’s youngest readers. The Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) has teamed up with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Michigan and the Wayne State University Library System to expand early childhood literacy programs across the city.
The initiative, fueled by a $15,000 donation from GEHA, will significantly increase the reach of the Imagination Library, which provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five. Currently serving more than 160 Detroit children, the program aims to triple its impact, ensuring that more families have access to resources that foster a love of reading and learning from the earliest years.
Wayne State University has been a key partner in the Imagination Library for over five years, helping distribute books to families in Detroit zip codes. With GEHA’s support, the program will grow its footprint and strengthen its mission to close literacy gaps that often begin before kindergarten. “Early literacy is foundational to lifelong success,” said program organizers, emphasizing the importance of putting books into the hands of young readers.
