GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General will be providing Virginia schools and youth organizations with $700,000 to promote youth literacy in the Commonwealth.
Local schools in Hampton Roads will specifically benefit as well. This includes; For Kids, Inc. Norfolk, awarded $4,000; Portsmouth Public Schools, awarded $3,000 and An Achievable Dream Virginia Beach/Newport News, awarded $2,500.
According to the release from Dollar General, The youth literacy grants will provide financial funding to teachers, libraries and literacy organizations to support a successful academic year.
“The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to be an ardent supporter of schools, libraries and nonprofit literacy organizations,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “Dollar General’s mission is Serving Others, and this commitment comes to life through Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants that will impact thousands of students across the country. Since its inception 25 years ago, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has partnered with thousands of organizations focused on advancing the goals of literacy and education.”
The money going to Virginia is part of $3.4 million that Dollar General’s Literacy Foundation awarded to 44 states the company has store locations in.
J.L. Turner, Dollar General’s co-founder, was functionally illiterate and never completed a former education, said the company. In 1993, Dollar General established the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in his honor.
Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to organizations located within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center. Grant applications for 2019 youth, summer, family and adult literacy programs will be available on January 2, 2019, according to the company.
Schools in Virginia awarded money by Dollar General:
Alexandria Tutoring Consortium, Inc. Alexandria Alexandria City $2,400.00
Community Lodgings Alexandria Alexandria City $3,000.00
Hurley Elementary Middle School Hurley Buchanan $3,000.00
Book Baskets Charlottesville Charlottesville City $4,000.00
Greenfield Elementary School Richmond Chesterfield $3,000.00
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area Danville Danville City $3,000.00
Covenant Christian Academy Warrenton Fauquier $3,500.00
Elk Hill Farm, Inc. Goochland Goochland $3,000.00
Halifax Co Public Schools Educational Foundation Halifax Halifax $3,000.00
John Gandy Elementary School Ashland Hanover $3,000.00
Henrico County Public Schools Richmond Henrico $4,000.00
Enhancing Education Hopewell Hopewell City $3,000.00
Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation Ashburn Loudoun $15,000.00
An Achievable Dream Virginia Beach Newport News Newport News City $2,500.00
ForKids, Inc. Norfolk Norfolk City $4,000.00
Portsmouth Public Schools Portsmouth Portsmouth City $3,000.00
St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School Woodbridge Prince William $2,195.00
Council Elementary Middle School Honaker Russell $2,500.00
Sugar Grove Elementary School Sugar Grove Smyth $3,878.00
