The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Lafayette County Literacy Council a $9,000 grant to support adult literacy. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of $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.

“We are thrilled to receive the Dollar General Grant. It will allow our ABLE Program Coordinator to work with ABLE students one-on-one and have direct classroom instruction. The funds will purchase instructional materials and tests that our students need, supplies for our coaches and students, and the printing of marketing materials'” said Sarah McLellan, executive director of the Lafayette County Literacy Council. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life in Oxford and Lafayette County through literacy and reading. The council provides services to both children and adults in Lafayette County and strives to develop a love of reading and life-long education in residents of all ages. The council focuses its program enrollment efforts on lower-income community members who use services offered by the local food bank, job training centers, and public agencies.”

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.

“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.”