Children’s Literacy Center receives Kum & Go Community Grant
By Gina Solazzi
April 3, 2017
Colorado Springs, CO- Children’s Literacy Center is the proud recipient of a $5,000 Community Grant from Kum & Go, the grant will allow CLC to continuing to offer FREE one-to-one tutoring to children reading below grade level in Colorado.
CLC began as a Junior League project in 1991 and has since evolved into a statewide effort to build a life of success for children through a foundation of literacy. CLC provides one-to-one tutoring and curriculum materials for disadvantaged youth and their families. Additionally, we recruit and train nearly 800 volunteers each year. Beginning with one location and sixty-two children in 1993, volunteers continue to tutor using the Peak Reader curriculum at more than 12 community sites in Colorado.
Illiteracy is a growing concern as it continues to pose social and financial burdens on our country. In the United States, 30 million people over age 16 – 14% of the country’s adult population – don’t read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level or fill out a job application. The cost of illiteracy in the United States and in Colorado is astounding. It is estimated that limited literacy skills cost business and taxpayers $20 billion in lost wages, profits and productivity annually.
Of the 14,000 children served by the Children’s Literacy Center, 96 percent improved in word lists and 94 percent improved in word recognition in paragraphs. The Children’s Literacy Center recognizes that early access to books; reading self-confidence and parental support are key components in cultivating a life of success for children in Colorado.
For nearly 60 years, Kum & Go has been dedicated to the communities it serves, sharing 10 percent of its profits with charitable causes. For four generations the family-owned convenience store chain has focused on providing exceptional service and delivering more than customers expect. Established in Hampton, Iowa, in 1959, the chain has since grown to employ more than 5,000 associates in more than 400 stores in 11 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming). Please visit www.kumandgo.com to locate the nearest store.
For program information or to volunteer please visit: www.childrensliteracycenter.org