Three area programs awarded funds to support literacy

Two area schools and a library became the recipients this month of a combined $51,000 donation to be used to advance their literacy programs.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded $40,000 to Widmyer Elementary School in Berkeley Springs, W.Va.; $10,000 to Hagerstown Community College; and another $1,000 to the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown.

The literacy foundation was established in 1993 in honor of Dollar General’s co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate, with only a third-grade education.

The money is part of more than $5.8 million awarded to approximately 720 schools, nonprofits and organizations in 43 states. The grants are used to help promote reading and literacy.

"We're still deciding specifically what the money will be used for," said Rhett Beckman, principal of Widmyer Elementary School. "[(Dollar General) said we could use it however we felt, as long as it was for literacy."

The donation to the school is part of General Dollar's new Reading Revolution program, which provides schools with funds to purchase books, computers and other educational supplies to enhance their reading and literacy programs.

Beckman said the money will likely be used to expand the school's reading programs.

"We'll also try to find some professional staff development and bring in some authors that write children's books," he said.

Widmyer Elementary was chosen to receive the money because of its close proximity to the Dollar General store on Valley Road in Berkeley Springs.

"By supporting Widmyer Elementary with this gift, we hope to help students become better readers, more successful students and lifelong learners," Denine Torr, the company's director of community initiatives, said in a news release.

Beckman said the fact that 74 percent of the 375 students enrolled in the school, which holds students in grades prekindergarten to two, come from low-income families, played a significant part in the literacy foundation's decision to award Widmyer Elementary the money.

Beckman said it came as a complete surprise.

"They called me in March to schedule a time to come," he said. "They said they had a 'large surprise' for us," he said. "We did some research and saw that they presented gifts to other schools, but thought no way were we getting $40,000," he said.

On May 5, representatives from Dollar General showed up to the school with a $40,000 check hidden inside a yellow and black box. The check was unveiled to the surprise of the students and teachers assembled in the school's library.

"We're very overwhelmed with their generosity," Beckman said.

The Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown plans to use its $1,000 grant from the literacy foundation to help fund its first Comic Con convention, set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 8. The convention will be modeled after the national Comic Con gathering for fans of comic-book heroes, horror figures, and fantasy and science-fiction characters.

The library's event will be open to all ages and will include a costume contest, crafts and activities.

"We'll also have handouts on the benefits of reading comic books," said Cyndi Powell, supervisor of the library's young-adult department. "There have been proven studies on the literary benefits of reading comic books, especially with children who struggle with reading. They really help kids to learn."

Powell said the library system applied to the literacy foundation for a $3,000 grant, but was awarded $1,000.

"Every little bit helps," she said. "We're so grateful."

Officials at Hagerstown Community College said they have yet to target their $10,000 grant to any specific programs at this time.

"HCC will use the $10,000 from this grant to focus on retention in adult education by increasing the ability for students to have time on task through providing professional development to instructors to ensure that there is an Internet-based component to each and every adult-education course," Dawn Schoenenberger, the school's director of developmental education and adult literacy services, said in an email. "HCC’s adult- program consists of adult basic education, English as a second language and GED classes."