Dollar General Makes Major Donation to Dolly Parton’s Reading Initiative
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a $1 million donation to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Parton’s literacy program works to provide free books to children from birth to age five.
Dollar General Corp. and its literacy foundation have supported the Imagination Library’s programs for several years, and have given more than $2.3 million in donations to the organization.
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“Access to quality print materials and books play a critical role in children’s development of reading skills and in improving reading performance, and we are proud to continue our support of the Imagination Library as part of our 30th anniversary celebration,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Books help inspire imagination and foster critical thinking skills. We look forward to seeing the additional impact these funds and books will have.”
The DGLF was created by Dollar General’s former CEO, Cal Turner, Jr., in honor of his grandfather and DG co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate. The foundation supports nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries to increase access to literacy programming, advance innovation and inspire the joy of reading. To date, the DGLF has awarded more than $233 million to literacy and education causes.
“I first want to congratulate the Dollar General Literacy Foundation on an amazing 30 years of supporting literacy efforts across the country,” said Dolly Parton. “Dollar General has been a longtime supporter of our work with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and this amazing gift will help us expand my Imagination Library to even more children and families.”
Continued Parton: “We share such similar personal stories that are at the heart of our passion for inspiring a love of reading, and I look forward to many more years of partnering on this work that means so much to us.”
As of May 5, Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General operated 19,294 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and pOpshelf stores across the United States, and Mi Súper Dollar General stores in Mexico. The company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
