May 20, 2015

Award recognizes outstanding commitment to children’s literacy
 

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Receives 2015 Legacy of Literacy Award from
Reading is Fundamental
Award recognizes outstanding commitment to children’s literacy
   
 
Goodlettsville, Tennessee – May 20, 2015 – Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the largest nonprofit literacy organization in the United States, recognized the Dollar General Literacy Foundation with its 2015 Legacy of Literacy Award at its annual Gala in Washington, D.C. last night. The prestigious award acknowledges the long-term and generous contributions the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has made to enhancing children’s literacy.
 
“Dollar General is extremely honored to be recognized with the 2015 Legacy of Literacy Award, which reflects our longstanding commitment to improving childhood literacy in the communities we serve and our corporate mission of Serving Others,” said Denine Torr, director of community initiatives for Dollar General. “We are proud to call Reading Is Fundamental a partner for more than a decade as we strive to give children opportunities to flourish and enrich their education through accessibility to quality books.”
 
Currently, there are approximately 16 million American children living in poverty, many of whom do not have access to quality books. Since 2004, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has provided free books and reading activities to approximately 400,000 children and contributed nearly $2 million through the partnership to provide children with opportunities to enrich their education through literacy and reading.
 
“We are very excited to extend this year’s Legacy of Literacy award to the Dollar General Foundation,” noted Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “Their dedication to providing children from economically disadvantaged communities with free books to own is remarkable and we are thankful for their generosity.”
 
Established in honor of J.L. Turner, co-founder of Dollar General, the Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and schools since 1993, including Reading Is Fundamental. Since 2004, Dollar General has expanded its commitment to RIF and supports 49 programs in 13 states including Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
 
About Reading is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) delivers free books and literacy support to children and families in underserved communities in the United States. By giving children the opportunity to own a book, RIF inspires them to become lifelong readers and achieve their full potential. As the nation's largest children's literacy nonprofit, RIF has placed 412 million books in the hands of more than 40 million children since it was established in 1966. To learn more and help RIF provide books to kids who need them most, visit www.RIF.org.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education as part of the company’s mission of Serving Others for over 20 years.  Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping nearly six million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.org.