In its second year, the employee-led Lozier Community Grant program supported 50 nonprofit organizations across the country. Recipients were selected by employee committees in all five Lozier locations.  Over the next couple of months, the recipient organizations’ stories of impact will be shared on LozierLink.

The Jackson County affiliate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a book gifting program where each month, children from newborn to 5-years-old can receive an age-appropriate book each month. To participate, children need to sign up, which, thanks to donations, comes at no cost.

“Because of this program, parents don’t need to choose between buying food or a book,” Director Debbie Berkley said. “By the time they go to kindergarten, each kid has a library of 60 books with their name in it, and it puts them on the same level with everybody else.”

Barkley started the Jackson County affiliate last year after seeing a need for books in her community. She is responsible for helping people register along with securing bulk pricing at the Post Office. Individual donations and support from funding like the Lozier Community Grants help cover the cost of sending the books to children.

To learn more about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, visit their website. For details on the Lozier Community Grant program, click here.