"One of the things I really appreciate about United Way is that we are a community based organization and [when] we work together we can make the Tri-Cities such a better place for the kids that we serve from birth to middle school with the programs we help support. We can really bring the community together through United Way."

"I am thrilled to be a part of launching Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and being able to send free books to kids in Benton and Franklin Counties. Literacy is important for so many different things. It's the first step of being able to be successful in school. Every time we take a car ride, we need to be able to read the signs. Every job we do requires us to read. It's how kids develop their confidence in navigating this whole world we've got. And for me, literacy is love. It's that simple. Literacy is love and all of us need that. All of our kids need that, and this program helps deliver that."