The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee’s Family Learning Center a $230,000 grant to support its adult literacy program. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of a $10.5 million donation to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs, representing the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history.
“Dollar General has championed the YWCA’s literacy programs for decades, and we are truly grateful for the Foundation’s ongoing support and confidence in our work,” said Sharon K. Roberson, president/CEO of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. “Education is the great equalizer. It is the foundation for a healthy and successful society. We are honored to be able to provide adult education through our Family Learning Center to hard-working students who are dedicated to lifting themselves and their families.”
This generous grant will enable YWCA to provide free adult education classes to more than 450 adults and help dozens more achieve their high school equivalency diplomas. YWCA’s Family Learning Center students account for more than one-quarter of all HiSET (formerly GED) graduates in the Nashville region.
“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 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 that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
