Emerging Leaders United Supports Literacy

In Tarrant County, only 36% of third-grade students read proficiently. Research shows that young children who have access to books in their homes are much more likely to read at grade level. Unfortunately, that access is limited for thousands of families in our community.

The good news is we’re committed, through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, to rewriting this story.

This year on North Texas Giving Day, United Way of Tarrant County’s Emerging Leaders United young professionals group is raising funds for a program that addresses this issue.

Through United Way of Tarrant County's partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, free books are mailed to children from birth to age 5 in more than 40 targeted ZIP codes in our area. Thanks to generous donors like you, enrolled families receive one free book every month for each child in the program.

A gift of any size makes a big difference!

• $25 – supports one child for a year
• $125 – supports one child for the life of the program (5 years)
• $250 – supports 10 children for a year
• $500 – supports 20 children for a year
• $1,000 – supports 40 children for a year

We now have more than 2,200 children enrolled in the program, five times as many as were participating last year, and we are working to expand coverage all over Tarrant County. 

You can help us rewrite the story on Tarrant County youth literacy!