The Knoxville Rotary Club presented checks to the Marion County Imagination Library and Freedom House at their meeting Wednesday.

Imagination Library is an early childhood literacy program founded by Dolly Parton that gives free books in the mail each month to kids aged 0-5. Amy Uthus is the founder of the Marion County Imagination Library and she said this donation will have a big impact on the program and go toward over 2,500 books.

“It has allowed me to expand the program beyond just Pella and Knoxville to other smaller communities in Marion County.”

The club also donated $400 to Freedom House, which is an organization that is a place of refuge for girls who have been exploited through human trafficking. Jennifer Attema with Freedom House says this donation will help out with day-to-day operations for an organization that helps victims get back on their feet.

“It’s a place for girls to heal and to go back into the community and be as healthy and normal as possible.”

One of Rotary’s main platforms is human trafficking prevention and they have been collecting donations for this cause.