(This story is re-blogged from United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and the Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee. Please click here to view the original blog.)

Mindy Hirt and Charlie Pray believe in the value of books in the home and reading aloud to their children. The Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee program provided them with opportunities to share their love for literacy with their families.

“When my son was born, there was this amazing book waiting for us to read to him,” said Pray.

“I thought it was a great idea to have books delivered each month so I could share them with my children,” said Hirt.

United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation partner to operate the Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee program. It provides one book per month to children from birth through age 5 in Davidson, Williamson and Sumner Counties at no cost to families, regardless of income. If a child is enrolled from birth until their fifth birthday, they will receive a total of 60 books. Since United Way became the local partner in 2013, children in the Imagination Library program’s Middle Tennessee area have received more than 1.1 million books.

Pray vividly remembers what it was like to watch his son receive his book in the mail each month.

“It was better than a present he was expecting around the holidays or his birthday. There was this grand anticipation each month. As he became more aware of what the program was all about, this anticipation only grew.”

Click here to read more about how Mindy Hurt and Charlie Pray give back to the Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee.