Shelf Talk 45: Library System Receives Dollar General Grant

Mississippi County Library System receives $2000.00 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Summer Literacy The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded MCLS a $2000.00 grant to support Summer literacy. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of $10.5 million donation to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs, representing the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 29-year history. The Mississippi County Library System is hosting its annual Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is Oceans of Possibilities, and we are so excited to receive this grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Summer Reading is essential to a child’s education. When a child goes the entire summer without reading, they lose three months of reading comprehension skills each year. The money from this grant will directly support our Take and Make kits in July. The MCLS understands July is the time most families take their vacations which is why rather than holding in-person programs, the libraries put out Take and Make kits. These kits are available to be picked up when a child comes to check out a book and can be created in the library or at home. Each craft encourages a child’s STEM and critical thinking skills. Upon completion of the craft, a picture can be uploaded to Read Squared and will earn your child points, which pushes them further into the reading program. "For nearly 30 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in our hometown communities," said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. "The recent and significant shifts in the educational landscape have made the Foundation’s mission more critically important. As we work to create access to high-quality instruction for all individuals, we share our gratitude for the educators who are working to uplift and empower others. We hope these funds will have a meaningful impact on students and teachers across the country and look forward to seeing the positive impact they have on learners.” The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer, and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $216 million in grants, helping more than 15.4 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Cal Turner, Jr. founded the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to honor his grandfather and Dollar General’s co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate having dropped out of school in the third grade to support his family. The Foundation aims to provide support to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations that seek to improve adult, summer, youth and family literacy initiatives. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.