January 9, 2024 – Karen Eckhardt, Books from Birth Organization
Books from Birth is a new, transformational collaboration between Munson Medical Center Traverse City, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Grand Traverse Region and Born To Read, a signature program of the Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary Club.
A multi-step volunteer effort, Books from Birth will begin before a baby is born… when parents receive information during their third trimester. During the birth, family & friends will learn the importance of reading & playing with their baby at a new information center in Munson’s maternity waiting room. After baby’s birth, when a birth registrar collects information for the birth certificate, every mother will be offered a sign up to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at no cost to the family. Finally, parents will be reminded & encouraged to read to their child every month when one, new, age appropriate book is home delivered…in baby’s name…until their 5th birthday. That’s a total of 60 books over five years at no cost to the family.