Molina Healthcare Partnership Celebration
(LOGAN, Ohio)— Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine hosted a book reading at the Logan-Hocking Country District Library with Ami Cole, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Ohio, to celebrate the ongoing support for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Southeast Ohio.
First Lady Fran DeWine and Ami Cole, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Ohio host book reading with children in Logan, Ohio.
“We’re so grateful that children in Southeast Ohio continue to have access to Imagination Library books that will help them start kindergarten better prepared,” said First Lady DeWine. “We couldn’t do this without the support of our passionate and dedicated partners.”
At the book reading, First Lady DeWine read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and President Cole read This Is the Tree We Planted. Both books are in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library book collection.
Since 2020, Molina and the MolinaCares Accord has given $290,000 to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Southeast Ohio, gifting more than 223,000 Imagination Library books to approximately 1,820 children each year.
“Molina is proud to commit $40,000 to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio this year, with a total commitment of over $290,000 since its inception,” said Ami Cole, plan president for Molina Healthcare of Ohio. “The growth of the program is a testament to the hard work of the Library organization and First Lady DeWine’s passion for improving the lives of Ohio children.”
In southeast Ohio, Easterseals of Central and Southeast Ohio serves at the Local Program Partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Since September of 2019, this nonprofit has financially supported the Imagination Library in Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Pike, Scioto, and Vinton counties.
“Easterseals is so grateful for our community partners like Molina Healthcare who assist Ohio’s children in receiving books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It is not only an investment in our children’s future success, but an investment in our local communities in Ohio,” said Pandora Shaw-Dupras, Chief Executive Officer of Easterseals of Central and Southeast Ohio.
Caregivers do not pay to participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, thanks to a collaborative funding approach from various nonprofit organizations working together. In partnership with the national Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, books are available for $2.60 each.
Thanks to continued support from the Ohio General Assembly, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio pays for one-half (50%) of each book mailed in all 88 counties each month. The other one-half (50%) is covered by a Local Program Partner – a nonprofit organization – which serves as the local program advocate and raises money to cover the local match. Hocking County’s partner is Easterseals of Central and Southeast Ohio.
First Lady DeWine reads “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio currently mails a monthly book to 408,391 children in Ohio. The program is available to all children between birth and age five at no cost to families. To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, visit ohioimaginationlibrary.org.
About Molina Healthcare of Ohio
Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Inc. provides government-funded, quality health care, serving members through Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace programs in Ohio. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and through state insurance marketplaces. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Ohio, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.