LITERACY: Hop on the train

We wanted to say thank you to the Coeur d’Alene Press for running a story about us on Aug. 10. The MONARCH TRAIN is a new nonprofit whose mission is to advance literacy and music education in North Idaho. Our hope is that local businesses will become aware of the work we are doing and will sponsor our mission.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which The MONARCH TRAIN has partnered with to bring to Kootenai and Shoshone counties, offers free books to children under the age of 5. This encourages a lifelong love of reading and prepares them for kindergarten. In just two short months, we have signed up nearly 300 children for this program. This is exciting but it also comes at a great and greater expense, as the program continues to grow. We have been incredibly fortunate to have Silverwood Theme Park sign on as our very first sponsor. We are so appreciative of their shared commitment to promote literacy in our community. We also received our first local business donation from Pilgrim’s Market. We would love to see other local businesses follow in their footsteps and become superheroes for our children. We all need to come together to make this program a success.

I grew up in Wallace and now live in Post Falls. Kootenai and Shoshone counties are home to me. The people in this community are so dear to my heart. I truly believe we will all come together to support this program for years and years to come. This is who we are. We lift one another up. We encourage one another to become our best. This is not just a community. This is home and we are family.

MELODY ALDERMAN

President, The MONARCH TRAIN

206-850-9929

melody@themonarchtrain.com