Community Projects
Our mission is to promote and encourage literacy in our community. One way we do that is through various projects that span generations.
If you’re interested in learning more or supporting our growing list of community projects, we encourage you to send us an email or click on the donate button below. Every dollar collected will go toward creating a community that values a good book.
From left are CLF board members Dawn Kitchell, Diane Disbro (front, Lesley Liesman (back), Nelson Appell, Bailey Kitchell, Julie Frankenberg, Dawnette Wiskur, Val Jankowski, Amanda Caldwell and Jake Thebeau.
‘One More Page’ of Success
DEC 2021
The success of the Community Literacy Foundation’s “One More Page” project to name this the Best Read Community in America is now on display inside the Washington Public Library in the form of a framed Proclamation that was issued by Washington Mayor Sandy Lucy.
The Community Literacy Foundation launched “One More Page” in March 2020, asking readers across the area to log the number of pages of books, magazines and newspapers that they read with a goal of reaching 1 million pages by the end of the year. Readers of all ages across the Greater Franklin County Area logged the number of pages they read, reaching more than 1 million pages by mid-August, 2020 and more than 1.5 million by December 31, 2020.
From left are Sara Newbanks and Melissa Mueller, Y program directors, Diane Schwab, Y Community Literacy Coordinator, Dawn Kitchell, Karen Cernich Dickhut, Jake Thebeau, Julie Frankenberg and Bailey Kitchell, all Community Literacy Foundation board members.
Share Run to Read proceeds with Y Literacy Council
Nov 2021
Members of the Community Literacy Foundation (CLF) presented a check for $1,220 to the Four Rivers Area YMCA Adult Literacy Program representing the Y’s half of the proceeds raised at the 2021 Run to Read.
Organized by the CLF and the Y and sponsored by NuStar Energy, Mike Wood & Associates, Neighborhood Reads and Stahlhuth Law, with volunteer support from the Washington High School Cross Country Team and National Honor Society, the event included a 5K run and 1-mile Story Stroll, featuring books about the St. Louis Cardinals by Ed Wheatly, who gave a presentation after the run on the parking lot of the Washington Public Library. Each of the more than 180 participants was able to select a free hard-cover book to keep.
Thank you for thanking them.
MAY 2021
YOU DID IT! YOU HELPED US GIFT A BOOK TO NEARLY 160 EDUCATORS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
In May, volunteers on the Community Literacy Foundation board worked to wrap, write special notes, package and ship these new books to area teachers through our High Five Reads project! Teachers answered our call earlier this spring to send us their personal reading requests -- and donors helped us gift these books in thanks for navigating a tough year of teaching through a pandemic. We are so excited to help these special people take the time to read this summer!
“We’ve received thank you cards and emails from these special teachers expressing their gratitude for the gifted book. It’s really been an incredible project for our foundation.”
