The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge is acquiring a partnership with Augusta Health after the closing of United Way of Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro.
The Community Foundation will step into the partnership with Augusta Health to carry on opportunities for local families to participate in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The partnership will include the enrollment of children who have joined the program through Augusta Health’s birthing center since June 2023.
“Our role for the local affiliate began January 1,” said Day Layman, president and CEO of the Community Foundation.
Layman said that when children are born at Augusta Health, a birthing center staff member will discuss the program with parents who live in Staunton, Augusta County or Waynesboro.
Parton’s book program provides one book per month for children from birth until age 5.
“We’re going to see if we can reach more Staunton, Augusta, Waynesboro families,” Layman said.
The closure of United Way in November 2024 has left the future of several programs in question, but United Way‘s board approached the Community Foundation about Parton’s book program.
“When we all got that unfortunate news, several of us thought about what were those key programs,” Layman said.
When United Way‘s board brought the new partnership to the Community Foundation, Layman said the nonprofit realized “it made really good sense with all of our contacts in the community.”
The Dollywood Foundation will provide training for the Community Foundation to take over the program. Layman said the nonprofit already has donations ready to support the new partnership.
“Our next step is public outreach,” Layman said.
The Community Foundation hopes to reach more families in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro with children under 5 years old. A book a month from Parton’s library program enables a child to start to build their own personal library.
“And, hopefully, getting them into the habit and reading and that becomes a lifelong habit,” Layman said.
The nonprofit will organize fundraising efforts for the program which could cost as much as $95,000 per year if 3,000 children are enrolled. Layman said that the Commonwealth of Virginia provides half of the funding and is working on the permanent annual funding of Parton’s program.
“I think we’ll find the support that’s needed,” Layman said of the local community.
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Rebecca Barnabi
