Stephanie Keller

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. 

At the end of 2025, our Early Childhood Program and Operations Coordinator, Stephanie Keller, interviewed Christa Donohue, Executive Director at Read to Them. Since 2004, Read to Them’s literacy programs have used the power of reading aloud together to build connections across families, schools, and communities across all 50 states. 

In the Greater Richmond Region, they support over 7,500 early learners through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  Statewide, they offer schools the Virginia Reads One Book program and nationally, all elementary and middle school students can benefit from their One School, One Book program.

Can you describe at a high level what Read to Them does?

Read to Them creates school-wide literacy programs that support reading together at home and learning together at school by providing schools and families with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to create a culture of literacy in their community.

Why is “reading to them” so important for children’s early development?

Academically, we know a child who is read to by adults tends to have stronger literacy skills like vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency, and phonetic awareness (the ability to hear, identify, and play with sounds). Beyond academics, reading and reading aloud together yield countless social, emotional, and empathic benefits that can positively impact children throughout their lives. We share more about these benefits in our Family Resources. 

For people who may not know, what is the Imagination Library and how is Read to Them involved with Imagination Library?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a “book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income.” Read to Them is the local affiliate for the Greater Richmond Region, which means every registered child aged 0-5 in eligible communities will receive a book from Imagination Library each month. The current localities covered are the Cities of Richmond, Petersburg, and Colonial Heights along with the Counties of Dinwiddie, Ameila, Sussex, Prince George, and a small portion of southern Chesterfield. Find out if you’re eligible and sign up for the Imagination Library.  

As the local affiliate, Read to Them is responsible for raising the necessary funds to cover the cost of books and postage as well as provide outreach to families so they can experience the magic of Imagination Library.

Imagination Library has been an excellent complement to Read to Them’s longstanding programs for elementary aged children. Expanding literacy efforts to families with children in the 0-5 age range creates so much opportunity to increase kindergarten readiness. When children arrive at kindergarten with a strong foundation, they are ready to soar. 

On the Imagination Library 804 page I noticed some family resources, can you share more about these?

It’s important for caregivers to understand the dramatic impact that such a simple act can have – reading aloud provides so many benefits, from brain development to the social and cognitive skills needed for success. These family resources offer some practical tips to get started and ideas for enhancing the reading aloud experience in every home. Having access to books in the home is the starting point, and we recommend aiming for 15 minutes of reading together a day, but we understand that it can be hard for families to find the time to read together. These resources provide some suggestions for how to incorporate reading into regular activities; for example, the school or daycare drop-off line, at the dinner table, at bath time, or right before bed. 

Beyond signing their young learners up for Imagination Library and other Read to Them programs, what are other ways people can volunteer or support Read to Them’s programs and early literacy overall?

As an initial step, you can fill out the volunteer interest form for Imagination Library. We also encourage you to tell friends or family with children ages 0-5 in the eligible areas to sign up, it’s free!

More broadly, Read to Them is focused on the declining number of adults who read aloud to children. Some of our recommendations include volunteering to read at daycares, preschools, or libraries. Give children more books as gifts. Encourage the schools in your area to participate in school-wide or district-wide reading events. And if you can, financially support organizations that promote and support children’s literacy–  it truly is the gift that lasts a lifetime. 

Finally, how has Robins Foundation supported the implementation of Read to Them’s Imagination Library program?

Support from Robins Foundation was the cornerstone for launching the program in the City of Richmond in 2023, and the foundation has continued to support this important work in the years since. Furthermore, Robins Foundation has been a true partner in connecting so many community partners working towards similar goals, from providing meeting spaces to making introductions. We’re so honored to partner with Robins Foundation.