Singer, songwriter, actress, business woman, author, Dolly Parton wears many hats.

She is a singer and singer.

But among a lifetime of artistic ventures, she is also a prolific philanthropist,

worked that was inspired by her humble origins.

She was the fourth of 12 children born to a poor family in East Tennessee.

Here she is, accepting the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy last year.

And I just gave from my heart. I never know what I'm going to do or why I'm going to do it.

I just see a need. And if I can feel it, then I will.

Among Parton's most important charitable works is the Imagination Library,

which she founded in 1995 in the East Tennessee County where she grew up.

Her goal to send children from birth to age five, one specially selected book each month

in hopes of inspiring a love of reading.

But you can never get enough books and the hands of enough children, right?

Because if you can read, you can self-educate yourself if you have to.

Dolly Parton dedicated the program to her father, who grew up in poverty and never learned to read.

He was the smartest man I've ever known, but I knew in my heart his inability to read

probably kept him from seeing all his dreams come true.

Since its founding, Parton's Imagination Library has expanded beyond the borders of Tennessee,

providing books to children nationwide and in several countries around the world.

Today, the organization is mailing two million books to children each month

and has gifted over 204 million books.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the library started Good Night with Dolly on their YouTube channel.

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