The charitable arm of a southwestern Indiana energy company has donated $500,000 to help ensure Hoosier children from birth to age 5 can continue participating in an innovative early literacy program.
Maureen Braun, the wife of Republican Gov. Mike Braun, announced the gift from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation during an event Wednesday at the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis.
The money will go toward maintaining Indiana's membership in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that each month mails a high-quality, age-appropriate book directly to the homes of some 3 million participating children nationwide at no cost to their families.
"Early access to books and learning benefit Hoosier kids throughout their lives," Maureen Braun said. "I'm honored to lead this work to support childhood literacy and am so grateful to CenterPoint Energy Foundation for their generous donation to foster a love of reading in Hoosier kids around our state."
Indiana's first lady launched a private fundraising effort in support of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in April after the Republican-controlled General Assembly declined to continue the $6 million biennial appropriation for the program in the new, two-year state budget, House Enrolled Act 1001.
The CenterPoint donation is the largest publicly announced gift backing Maureen Braun's efforts to expand access to books and reading opportunities for young Hoosiers.
"Helping children build strong reading habits from an early age is one of the most meaningful ways we can support future generations. We're proud to continue investing in programs like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that make books more accessible to families," said Mike Roeder, CenterPoint Energy senior vice president of external affairs.
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