(Stan Reynolds, founder Variety The Children's Charity and Dondino, President of Read To Me Foundation presents Stan Reynolds with the custom Read To Me Foundation book "My Sunshine Friend" to honor and support Variety)

Thank you Hy-Vee for supporting Read To Me Foundation and Variety with the sale of "My Sunshine Friend" children's bilingual book

HyVee Charitable Giving

Variety The Children's Charity

Hy-Vee’s participation with Variety, an international organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, began in 1983 with a Cash for Kids program. Cash for Kids brought together grocery wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers and food brokers in a coupon redemption program to raise funds for children. Since its inception, Cash for Kids has generated millions of dollars for the organization. Other events, activities and programs raise additional funds each year. More than $6 million has been raised in the last 8 years. In fact, last year’s donation of $1 million was the highest annual contribution to Variety in the company’s history. The donation, presented during the 2009 Variety Telethon, was made possible through funds raised during the 2008 Hy-Vee Charity BratFest, an auction held during the 2008 Hy-Vee Triathlon and vendor promotions. Hy-Vee CEO Ric Jurgens and his wife Carol served as honorary chairs for the 35th annual Variety telethon event, which raised an estimated $3.17 million for Iowa’s children in need.

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

Thank You Hy-Vee for joining Read To Me Foundation's fight for literacy!

(located at 1720 West Battlefield Road, Springfield, MO)

Missouri Chapter President Rebecca Chapman was presented with a Hy-Vee check from Store Manager, Mike Hoppmanto help support Read To Me Foundation's fight for Literacy for our children. Although Hy-Vee Corporate Iowa has supported Read To Me Foundation, we are pleased to have the new Hy-Vee in Springfield, Missouri join our fight for Literacy.

At Hy-Vee, good customer service doesn't stop with "a helpful smile in every aisle"; it extends into the neighborhoods and communities they serve as well. They care about the things their customers care about-health care, education, the arts, leisure and recreation, the environment, economic opportunity, civic improvement-and they give generously to projects and organizations that support the same goals.

THANK YOU HY-VEE

St. Joseph, Missouri

(located at 201 North Belt Highway, St. Joesph, MO)

Store Director

Brad McAnally

Store Director Brad McAnally presented Rebecca Chapman with a donation from the HyVee employees to help support Literacy

DUBUQUE, IOWA

MultiCultural Center Host Family Night Literacy

Thank You to Mystique Casino for Support Read To Me Foundation in their fight for Literacy. Mystique Casino sponsored Read To Me Foundation children books for the Multi-Cultural Center of Dubuque

(LtoR) Jesus Aviles/Mystique Casino CEO-President, Dondino/President RTMF, Brian Southwood/Mystique Casino Asst. GM

The mission of the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) is to advance adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in the U.S. by increasing public awareness for the need to increase funding and programs; promoting effective public policy; and serving as an authoritative resource for the field on national adult education issues.

Attend the NCL Literacy Leadership Awards

Join the National Coalition for Literacy on September 15 in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 2010 NCL Literacy Leadership Awards. This year, we are pleased to honor the following individuals and organizations:

• Senator Thomas Harkin (IA)
• Representative John Yarmuth (KY)
• English Under the Arches led by Betsy McKay, Director of Bilingual Leadership Development for McDonald’s USA LLC
• Kentucky Education Television (KET)
• Archie Willard, long time student advocate and leader

Additionally, we are proud to have Congressman Jared Polis (CO) joining us to give closing remarks. Congressman Polis led the U.S. House of Representatives in dedicating the week of September 13 as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.

COMMUNITY LITERACY

on International Literacy Day

"RIGHT TO LITERACY FORUM"

Central Library

1000 Grand Avenue

Des Moines, Iowa

Special Guest Speakers:

Anne Murr- presented honor to Archie Willard, advocate for community literacy since 1980's

Angela Connolly- Polk Co. Supervisor- Education important in down economy; how low literacy is affecting people looking for employment

Georgia Sheriff- Drake University Head Start Director- Types of low literacy emerging such as: Financial, Health, Adult, Family

Molly Olinger Topf- Reach Out and Read

Tyler Weig- Everybody Wins! Iowa

Mike Hutchinson- Dollar General

Anne Murr DUALC (Drake University Adult Literacy Center

Elisabeth Buck- Director of Iowa Workforce Development

Laura Walth- Librarian, Des Moines Public Library- Programs, media and Opportunity is Knocking Job Searching Program

Steven Pritchard- Adult Literacy Panel moderator

Laura Walth, Archie Willard, Anne Murr

Georgia Sheriff, PhD Director Drake University Head Start Program, Archie Willard, Literacy Advocate, Dondino Melchiorre, President Read To Me Foundation

*Read To Me Foundation pledged 1,000 books to Drake University Head Start Program

*Read To Me Foundation donated three titles to the Central Library for the children section, Laura Walth

http://www.drakeheadstart.org/

About Drake University Head Start

The programs are child-focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.

Both programs provide a range of individualized services in the areas of education, medical, dental and mental health, nutrition and social service to children and their families. Parent involvement is encouraged and support is offered for children with disabilities. Ten percent of the programs' total enrollment opportunities are made available to children with disabilities.

Drake University Head Start, including Early Head Start, is the largest Head Start grantee in the state of Iowa and one of only a few university-based Head Start programs in the nation. Drake University Head Start serves children from birth to age three through the Early Head Start program and children ages three and four and their families through the 3 and 4-year-old preschool program.

What does the Drake University Head Start 3 and 4-year-old program offer?

The 3 and 4-year-old program currently serves more than 900 children and serves 6 counties: Polk, Jasper, Marion, Boone, Warren and Story (Ames only).

Thirty-six centers are available to families in the six counties, as well as, a Head Start Home Program in Polk County. Des Moines Public Schools is a part of Drake University Head Start as a delegate of the program and offers 15 of the 36 center options.

A variety of services are offered to children and their families who participate in the program, including nutrition and health. Depending upon the session length, each classroom offers 1/3 to 2/3 of each child's daily nutrition requirements.

Low teacher/student ratios and individualized instruction are offered in each center. Drake University Head Start teachers have earned four-year teaching degrees.

Literacy is a strong component of the program and family literacy services are offered to Head Start children and their families.

Discovery Garden

The Discovery Garden, a resource library for staff, is a component of the Drake University Head Start Program that enhances program curricula and provides means for staff to explore and implement various ideas and materials.

A library catalog of over 5500 materials is available to all staff in the Drake University Head Start Program, in addition to child care partners and designated CDA class participants.

Archie serves on many literacy boards across the country. He currently serves on the Iowa Health System system-wide collaborative on Health Literacy. In 2004, Archie chaired the New Readers Conference in conjunction with the Iowa Health system and numerous organizational partners in the goal of educating other adult learners and health professionals about improving communications in health care. He believes this collaboration between learners and health professionals is the first of its kind a pilot project in health literacy interaction. Health professionals agree and are recognizing the need to address health literacy at all levels of the health care system. Iowa Health System worked with Archie and the New Readers of Iowa for a year prior to the conference. The goal was to learn from each other in order to improve health communications.

**Archie Willard is being honored on September 15, 2010 with the NCL Literacy Leadership Award by the National Coalition for Literacy in Washington, DC

Archie Willard - Learning to Read

Archie Willard, who learned to read as an adult, shares his story.Copyright - Iowa Literacy Resource Center 2008