KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Kosciusko Literacy Services a $10,000 grant to support adult literacy and a $10,000 grant to support family literacy.

These local grants are part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of $10.5 million to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs, representing the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history.

Executive Director Cynthia Cates stated the grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation makes Kosciusko County stronger by supporting the one-on-one tutoring for adults program. KLS conducts an adult literacy class and provides tutors for adult students who need additional help to learn to read and to reach their educational goals.

Improving literacy helps adults become self-sufficient members of the community by removing barriers to employment.

Cates commended the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for the support. The most recent PIAAC skills reports 20% of adults (11,000) in the county are reading at or below level one.

Adults at this level have difficulties using or comprehending print materials.

The read to grow children’s book club improves pre-literacy skills of children by providing reading materials for at-risk preschoolers living in Kosciusko County’s poorest families and encourages and monitors read aloud time. This improvement is due to the increased read-aloud time children have at home and by building home libraries. Along with the monthly book, a newsletter highlights at-home learning experience.

“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 or through referral cards found in the learn to read brochures available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.