Dollar General Literacy Foundation Named As United Through Reading’s “Books for Ownership” Sponsor
November 12, 2018
SAN DIEGO, CA November 12, 2018 – Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced today that they awarded $150,000 to United Through Reading to help advance literacy opportunities for military families.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s generous donation will enable United Through Reading to purchase and distribute approximately 15,500 books to military units and commands around the world in an effort to help U.S. service members connect with their children while they are deployed. Through the program, military children will be able to connect with their far-away parents as they follow along with a video of their mom or dad reading one of their favorite books.
“We are honored to support United Through Reading’s efforts to help deployed military service members engage in special reading moments with their children,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s senior director of community initiatives. “When the members of our military can’t be there for bedtime stories, we hope that the video recorded stories and books our funding provides will help create beautiful memories, strengthen the family connection and generate a love of reading.”
Children of deployed and active service members may face unique emotional and academic challenges including stress associated with repeated separations from their military parents, and educational disruptions from frequent military moves. These factors can make learning more difficult. United Through Reading provides service members the opportunity to be video recorded reading a book to their child back home. Reading aloud to a child, allowing a child to follow along with a book being read and the repetition of reading the same book are all proven to bolster literacy development. United Through Reading participants report reduced separation-related stress and an increase in children’s interest in books and reading.
“We are honored to work with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to further connect military children with their family members during times of separation and to foster their love of reading,” said Dr. Sally Ann Zoll, Chief Executive Officer.
For 25 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has supported literacy development and learning for adults, youth and families. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $160 million in grants to literacy organizations that have helped more than 10 million individuals learn to read, prepare for high school equivalency or learn English. Believing everyone deserves an equal opportunity to receive a basic education, Dollar General Literacy Foundation is pleased to support the literacy development of children from military families.
ABOUT UNITED THROUGH READING
United Through Reading is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) public benefit organization founded 29 years ago. UTR’s mission is to unite military families facing physical separation by facilitating the bonding experience of reading aloud together. United Through Reading offers service members the opportunity to be video-recorded reading storybooks to children at home which eases the stress of separation, maintains positive emotional connections, and cultivates a love of reading and early childhood literacy. At more than 200 recording locations worldwide at any given time, service members can read to the children who are special to them on military bases and outposts, deployed U.S. Navy ships, U.S. Coast Guard cutters, and at select USOs, Armed Services YMCAs, and VA in-patient clinics. Since its inception, more than two million military parents, spouses and children have benefited from the program.
ABOUT DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, 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 $160 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.