Dolly Parton’s literacy legacy lives on in the Lowcountry
Lowcountry Community Church in Bluffton is continuing its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, carrying forward her mission to inspire a lifelong love of reading among children.
It has been nearly a month since the world lost legendary entertainer and philanthropist Dolly Parton, but her impact extends far beyond music and film. Through her Imagination Library, Parton has put books into the hands of millions of children worldwide, including those in Bluffton and across the Lowcountry.
“So, we're encouraging literacy. We're helping prepare children for school. We're inspiring them to dream, but we're also creating thousands of little moments between children and the people who love them,” Pastor Jason Best of Lowcountry Community Church said.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 for preschool children in her home county in East Tennessee. What began as a local initiative has since grown nationwide. “...because if you can read, you can teach yourself anything,” Parton said.
Pastor Best’s connection to the mission is rooted in his father’s story—a man who grew up on a farm in South Georgia. “One of the things he always taught us was that education is the key that opens the door to opportunity,” Best said.
For more than two decades, Best supported Parton’s mission outside the church. Then, in 2021, Lowcountry Community Church became the program’s first local church partner, serving children across Beaufort County. “I think we're more inspired than ever to continue the mission. There are still children to reach. Still, books to send. There are still little minds to open and dreams to inspire,” Best said.
Together, the church and the Imagination Library are helping build a brighter future where every child is surrounded by books, stories, and a love of reading.
“The first step is always the hardest, but you never really know unless you try,” Parton said.
A community-led effort is marking September 25th by encouraging donations of $9.25 to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a nod to her hit song “9 to 5.”