Bellingen Shire Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Bellingen Rotary is Committed to Improve Literacy Locally and Abroad
Inspired by her father's inability to read or write, Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in her local hometown. By 2000 it was growing across the USA. She established the DPIL International Committee in 2005, expanding the Library into other countries. In 2013 the DPIL partnered with United Way Australia to bring the Imagination Library to children of Australia. In the past ten years over 1 Million books have been mailed to Aussie children aged from birth to 5 years old! The Rotary Club of Bellingen is proud to be a part of this incredible literacy program for our local children!
The DPIL partners with United Way Australia as a charitable organisation, and our Rotary Club is partnering with them. We have chosen the Imagination Library to be one of our key signature ongoing projects. Please read below to hear more about our story of how the Imagination Library came to Bellingen Shire Community...
Holly and her Mum are reading her 1st book from Bellingen Rotary's Imagination Library. The Shire now has 51 children receiving a book every month.
Our Story
Our story begins with a serendipitous partnership established between local business owner Paul Young and the Bellingen Rotary Club. Paul and the Club had a shared vision to establish The Dolly Parton Imagination Library for the children of Bellingen Shire. They joined forces, with Paul taking the helm as Chair of the Bellingen Shire Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Rotary members worked hard on a special four-day project to raise the $2200 needed to establish the Imagination Library and sponsor children in our community. Chairman Paul Young matched that through sponsoring 20 children personally and through his buisiness, Paul's Boutique. Additional fundraising from generous locals has enabled us to enrol 51 children in the program! The team has done a stellar job to get the Library off to a roaring start, but this is just the beginning of our story...
Now we need YOU to help us keep that story growing for the young children of our community. These books are age-appropriate and carefully selected by education experts and published by Penquin Books of Australia. $110 will deliver a book to a deserving child's mailbox every month, for a whole year! Please consider sponsoring a child today.
Meet The DPIL Team
Paul Young, Chairman
Golden Kennedy, Administration
Michael Champion, Fundraising
Helen Phipps, Sponsor Relations
Phil Kennedy, Marketing
Roya Vala, Book Reading Events
A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors
Did you know...
$9 delivers a book to one child's mailbox!
$55 delivers a book to one child's mailbox for 6 months!
$110 delivers a book to one child's mailbox every month for 1 year!
$550 delilvers a book to one child's mailbox every month for 5 years!
$1100 delivers a book to two children's mailbox every month for 5 years!
Become a Sponsor!
Click on any link below or
Make a direct deposit to the Bellingen Rotary Speical DPIL Account at
BSB 533 000 Account 328 57668
$1100+
Click here to enroll TWO children to receive a book every month for the next FIVE years!
Paul Young
Bellingen Rotary
P & G Kennedy
$550+
$110+
$50+
$10+