July 26, 2022
New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Receives Grant from the
Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Summer Literacy
NEW ORLEANS – The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded the New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (NOLA-GLR), an initiative of United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA), a $2,000 grant to support summer literacy through the Fennelly Literacy Institute. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent $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 Fennelly Literacy Institute works with summer and after-school programs in New Orleans to infuse literacy practices into their activities, ensuring more children ages 4-8 have access to a quality summer program and are better prepared to succeed in school.
The Institute issues a shared book of the summer to each child in a participating program to foster a sense of joy, connection and community across programs and households. The Foundation’s grant funding will help the Institute purchase books that reflect participants’ diverse backgrounds and other materials for literacy activities.
"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.
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About United Way of Southeast Louisiana
For nearly 100 years, United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) has been a leader and trusted partner in improving lives and making a lasting difference. We fight to eradicate poverty by preparing people for quality jobs, growing incomes, and affording better health and education opportunities throughout Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. We have a bold vision of equitable communities where all individuals are healthy, educated, and financially stable – and we have a plan. United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Blueprint for Prosperity guides all strategic investments in programs, initiatives, collaborations, volunteerism, and advocacy aimed at tackling poverty. For more information, please visit UnitedWaySELA.org. Find us on social: @UnitedWaySELA.