2008 Woodie Awards
Students promote literacy program
DIANA PEREZ
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Instead of giving an impersonal holiday card, people now can give the gift of literacy to a child through the Wee Read program.
"People can sponsor a child to receive books for half a year for a $20 donation," said Rebekah Maddox, president of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.
"They give the donation in honor of someone, and we will send them a holiday card telling them about the donation."
Alpha Phi Omega will collect donations for the program at various grocery stores today, said Michelle McDaniel, a member of the organization.
"We are asking for people to sponsor a child for six months, a year or give as much money as they can," McDaniel said.
Maddox said she was contacted about the program by the Ferst Foundation and said this will be the fraternity's first year helping with Wee Read.
"We are looking forward to helping out with the program for many years to come," she said.
Wee Read was started in Athens-Clarke County in January, said Patty Wagner, director of United Way of Northeast Georgia's Success By Six program.
Wagner said since January more than 1,000 children have been registered for the program. Wee Read's ultimate goal is to register most of the 6,000 children living in ACC.
Maddox said she knew this was a program Alpha Phi Omega "would definitely want to help out with" after meeting with Wagner.
"We do a lot to help students K-12, but this is one way we can make sure that future students have the necessary building blocks for their education," Maddox said.
Wagner mentioned the success the program has had in Morgan County, where it started.
"In 2001, when the program first began, only 45 percent of children tested ready for kindergarten in reading skills. Three years later, 90 percent were ready," she said.
"People can sponsor a child to receive books for half a year for a $20 donation," said Rebekah Maddox, president of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.
"They give the donation in honor of someone, and we will send them a holiday card telling them about the donation."
Alpha Phi Omega will collect donations for the program at various grocery stores today, said Michelle McDaniel, a member of the organization.
"We are asking for people to sponsor a child for six months, a year or give as much money as they can," McDaniel said.
Maddox said she was contacted about the program by the Ferst Foundation and said this will be the fraternity's first year helping with Wee Read.
"We are looking forward to helping out with the program for many years to come," she said.
Wee Read was started in Athens-Clarke County in January, said Patty Wagner, director of United Way of Northeast Georgia's Success By Six program.
Wagner said since January more than 1,000 children have been registered for the program. Wee Read's ultimate goal is to register most of the 6,000 children living in ACC.
Maddox said she knew this was a program Alpha Phi Omega "would definitely want to help out with" after meeting with Wagner.
"We do a lot to help students K-12, but this is one way we can make sure that future students have the necessary building blocks for their education," Maddox said.
Wagner mentioned the success the program has had in Morgan County, where it started.
"In 2001, when the program first began, only 45 percent of children tested ready for kindergarten in reading skills. Three years later, 90 percent were ready," she said.
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