The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded 4-H youth programming a $500 grant to support student literacy. This local grant award is part of more than $8.3 million in grants awarded to more than 1,000 schools, nonprofits and organizations across the 44 states that Dollar General serves.
“After hearing that the average child loses up to 1.5 years of learning in just three months of summer vacation I knew we had to do something to help Atchison County’s children,” said Sam O’Riley, Youth Program Associate at University of Missouri Atchison County Extension.
This year, throughout the summer, students going into K-6 can meet on designated Fridays in the summer to read with the Bee the Change program. They will also play games, make crafts, win prizes, and learn about honeybees and how important they are to our world.
“We are honored to fund literacy and education initiatives, which support our mission of Serving Others,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018 and a legacy of helping people improve their lives through literacy and education. Including this grant, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has provided more than $154 million in funding to help more than 10 million people. We believe these programs can have a positive impact on the communities we serve and we look forward to continuing to partner with organizations dedicated to making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $154 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
If you would like to participate in the Bee the Change summer reading program, contact Sam O’Riley at orileys@missouri.edu or 660-744-6231.