Thursday, September 3 | Volume 40 No. 25

Westsidestory Newspaper

Dolly Parton’s Gift to California’s Children: A Legacy Delivered One Book at a Time

By Reginald Scott Webb Jr. | California Black Media

Dolly Parton leaves a lasting legacy in the hearts and homes of California’s children through a lit eracy program that has delivered nearly 3 million free books across the state. Parton, the internationally cel ebrated singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, died Aug. 25 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. While millions world wide are remembering her music, films and unmistakable personal ity, California families are also honoring the “Book Lady” whose Imagination Library helped intro duce thousands of young children to the joy of reading. Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to provide chil dren from birth to age 5 with a free, age-appropriate book deliv ered to their homes each month. The program began in Sevier County, Tennessee, where Parton grew up in poverty, and eventually expanded throughout the United States and internationally, deliver ing 300 million books worldwide. California joined that effort af ter Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1183 into law on Sept.

See "Dollyl Parton..." page 7

FARSB Calls on the IE to Play Your Part this Hunger Action Month

RIVERSIDE, CA – This Septem ber, during Hunger Action Month (HAM), Feeding America River side | San Bernardino (FARSB) is joining the nationwide Feeding America network in calling on the Inland Empire (IE) community to Play Your Part. As the cost of es sentials like groceries and energy continue toput pressure on household budgets, everyone can take action to help ensure their neigh bors have access to the food they need to thrive. "Together we can end hunger," said Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America (shown right). "It takes people looking out for each other, especially now, asso many families are navigating dif ficult tradeoffs necessitated by high food prices. This Hunger Action Month, we're asking ev eryone to show up for their neigh bors facing hunger and play their part. Whether you give, volunteer, speak up, or support your commu nity in another way, your action matters.

When neighbors care for neighbors, we strengthen our communities." According to the latest data available from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, 48 mil lion people, including more than 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2024, the high est level since 2014. Of the com munities FARSB serves, we see food insecurity range from a low of 13.8% in Riverside County to a high of 15.6% in San Bernardino County. “Ending hunger is only going to happen if our entire commu nity acts together to create last ing change that addresses root causes of hunger,”said Vanesa Rangel-Mercado, Interim CEO at FARSB. “We invite anyone will ing to play a part in the solution to turn a single action into impactful, collective action this September.” People can get involved local ly by donating at FeedingIE.org/ hungeractionor through the ac tions below: • Give Food: Host a food drive to collect canned goods. • Give Funds: Donate funds or set up a peer-to-peer fundraiser to ask your community to donate to your fundraiser as a group. • Give Time: Register for a vol unteer shift at our Riverside ware house. • Give Voice: Advocate for hun ger-relief policies that boost our mission. Learn more about how you can take action by visiting: Feedin gIE.org/hungeraction.