“I WILL BUILD SECOND CHANCES FOR OTHERS”: DOLLY PARTON ANNOUNCES $2.5M RECOVERY CENTER IN TENNESSEE
Dolly Parton has once again reminded the world why she is more than just a music legend. Known for her glittering career, unmatched songwriting, and global philanthropy, the 78-year-old star has now turned her focus to one of her most personal projects yet — a recovery and shelter centre for vulnerable women and children in her beloved Smoky Mountains.
In a quiet but powerful announcement, Parton revealed that she had repurchased a modest home in Tennessee, a place tied to her childhood, and will transform it into Carl’s Haven — a $2.5 million recovery centre dedicated to those battling homelessness and addiction. The centre, named in honour of her husband Carl Dean, will provide safe accommodation, counselling services, and long-term reintegration opportunities for families in crisis.
“I won’t build luxury for myself,” Parton said. “I’ll build second chances for others.”
The words, simple yet searing, have captured hearts across the globe. For fans who have followed her journey — from a one-room cabin in Sevier County to becoming one of the most celebrated figures in American culture — the move is as symbolic as it is practical. Dolly has long spoken of her impoverished upbringing and the resilience it taught her. Now, by creating Carl’s Haven, she is directly transforming her past struggles into a legacy of hope.
The centre will be more than a shelter. Plans include on-site counselling, job-training programmes, and community partnerships to help women and children rebuild their lives with dignity. Local officials have already praised the project as a vital lifeline for the region, where poverty and addiction have left deep scars.
Parton’s philanthropic record is already the stuff of legend. Her Imagination Library has provided more than 200 million free books to children worldwide. She has donated millions to healthcare, education, and disaster relief. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her $1 million donation helped fund research that contributed to a vaccine breakthrough. Yet this new project feels especially personal, tying her compassion back to the very landscape and community that shaped her.
The decision to name the centre after her husband Carl — a man who has largely stayed out of the spotlight throughout their nearly six-decade marriage — adds another layer of tenderness. Friends close to the couple have described the move as a testament to their quiet but enduring partnership.
Reactions from fans and fellow musicians have poured in. Social media is awash with tributes, calling Dolly’s latest act “the greatest song she’s ever written, and it’s not even music.” Country artists have praised her for using her platform to champion the forgotten. One fan wrote: “Dolly doesn’t just sing about love and compassion — she lives it.”
For Parton, who has often said that her legacy is about more than hit records, Carl’s Haven may prove to be the most defining chapter of her story. “Music gave me wings,” she once said, “but the people back home gave me roots.”
By planting those roots even deeper into the soil of Tennessee, Dolly Parton is offering not just shelter, but the chance for renewal. It is, perhaps, her most enduring performance yet — a symphony of compassion, built brick by brick, note by note, for those who need it most.