ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A local reading program surpassed a major milestone Monday, when the Rochester Chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library delivered its 25,000th book.

Nori Simmons, 2, was the recipient of the special delivery made by Rochester Mayor Malik Evans.

Imagination Library is funded entirely by donors, and currently has around 3,000 children enrolled in the service that delivers a new free book every month. The founder of the Rochester chapter of Imagination Library stressed the importance of what the program provides.

“If you live in a low income area there is about a 60% chance that you don’t have any books at home that are for children, so we want to close that gap,” said Matt Present. “Children who are enrolled in the Imagination Library are about 30% more likely to be kindergarten ready. Kindergarten readiness is associated with all sorts of important things; high school graduation rates, rates of self-esteem, life time earnings. So we’re really trying to make sure that we enable families and children to build better lives for themselves here in our community.”

For more information on how to support or enroll your child in the program, click here.