The Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced Thursday the award of more than $240,000 in literacy grants to Georgia nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools, including a $1,000 grant to Long County Public Library in Ludowici. In addition to the local library in Long County, other area recipients include the Royce Learning Center in Savannah and Savannah Country Day School.
“The grant was applied for through their Summer Reading Grant Program, and so the grant will be used for summer reading,” Long County Library Manager Tammy Goober said. “Summer reading is one of the biggest programs that the library has. We reach—hopefully—over 200 children to encourage reading during the summer so they maintain skills they’ve learned over the school year, and are ready to go back in the fall. It’s a great way to bring the families together. We encourage them to read together and complete the reading logs together, and I think that when the parents complete a reading log too, that helps encourage the child to do more reading.”
Goober also mentioned that the money from the grant would help pay for presenters brought in by the library during the summer and help with book orders. Children who complete a reading log will receive a free book that they’ll be able to take home with them, she said.
These grant funds are aimed at supporting adult, family and summer literacy programs within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center across the 44 states Dollar General serves, according to a news release from Dollar General. The grants awarded to Georgia organizations are expected to positively impact the lives of more than 16,000 Georgians, the release states.
“In keeping with Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others, we are excited to provide grants to support literacy and education initiatives in the communities we proudly call home,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO and Dollar General Literacy Foundation board member. “Each year, funds provided by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation make a real difference by providing the tools that students, adults and families need to pursue new opportunities and accomplish their goals. We believe these programs empower the communities we serve, and we are honored to play a role in their success.”
Statewide grants are part of more than $8.3 million that the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded. Recipients plan to use Dollar General Literacy Foundation funds to help adults learn to read, prepare for the high school equivalency exam, promote childhood summer reading or learn English. A comprehensive list of grant recipients may be found online at www.dgliteracy.org.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is now accepting applications for youth literacy grants through May 16, at 10 p.m. Central Time. Youth literacy grants support schools, public libraries and nonprofit organizations in implementing new or expanding existing literacy efforts. Funding can be used to purchase new technology, equipment, books, materials or software to enhance literacy programs. Applications are available online at www.dgliteracy.org.