Above: Dollar General representatives present a Beyond Words grant to Atlantic Middle School in Atlantic, IA. Below: Checks are also presented to Cresskill High School in Cresskill, NJ and Porter Consolidated Public Schools in Porter, OK.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded a total of $44,000 to three schools impacted by disasters. The awards were made possible through the Beyond Words grant program, which provides funding to aid in the rebuilding of school libraries. Schools who received funding include:
- Atlantic Middle School in Atlantic, Iowa received a $10,000 grant after a fire caused water damage.
- Cresskill High School in Cresskill, New Jersey received a $20,000 grant after Hurricane Ida in 2021.
- Porter Consolidated Public Schools in Porter, Oklahoma received a $14,000 grant after severe storms and flooding in 2019 caused major damage to the school and library.
“Our mission of Serving Others is evident in our programs like Beyond Words, which was established to support and serve schools following a natural disaster,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “We are proud to play a role in rebuilding schools and supporting the libraries’ restoration by providing new books and educational resources to help inspire and engage students in learning.”Atlantic Middle School librarian Deb Burton shared her appreciation during a recent check presentation ceremony. “I spent the morning telling the sixth graders all about the grant and moving back into the middle school,” she said. “They cannot wait to be part of putting us back together again. We are excited to have a brand new, sparkling building back to normal this fall and thank Dollar General for the support.”
Since its inception in 2006, Beyond Words has awarded more than $2.8 million in grants, impacting more than 117,000 students in 31 states. Grants are available to public schools with a school library located within 15 miles of a Dollar General store or distribution center. Learn more about this and other grants at dgliteracy.org.