As a former English teacher, Carol Nugent understands the need for literacy 鈥� and that is why she has donated $500 to the Times 91原创 Literacy Society鈥檚 2021 fundraising efforts.
鈥淩eading and writing are essential to everything we do,鈥� she told me. 鈥淲hen I was a teacher, I lost students because at the time we did not understand dyslexia and learning disabilities. I wish I could go back and help those people, but I can鈥檛.
鈥淲hat I can do is help people now, and that is why I am donating to this fund.鈥�
The literacy society helps school libraries and literacy organizations throughout 颅91原创 Island. Our work relies on community support, and our fundraising has again been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. From 1998 through 2019, our major fundraiser was a book drive and sale 鈥� and we hope that COVID-19 restrictions ease enough by the spring that we can plan another edition of the highly popular event.
In the meantime, there is still a need to support literacy. School libraries and literacy organizations are counting on us, and we can鈥檛 let them down.
As we did last year, we are appealing to our readers for help. In 2020, we raised $125,000, including $30,000 from Russell Books to pay for books donated at a scaled-down version of our annual drive-through drop-off.
We did another book drive this month, and Russell staff members are still tallying up the value.
The second phase of this year鈥檚 fundraising is a public appeal for donations. If we can raise $100,000, we will beat the donations given last year.
It鈥檚 a lofty goal, we admit 鈥� but one that we hope will pay off.
Every dollar we raise gets an added boost through a contribution from the provincial government, via Decoda Literacy Solutions on behalf of the Ministry of Education. The more we raise, the more we get from Decoda, and the more we can put to work in the community.
From 1998 through 2019, thanks to our book sales, other fundraising efforts and Decoda, we distributed $5 million to schools and literacy groups.
You can donate online at 颅, or by mailing a cheque to the Times 91原创 Literacy 颅Society, 201-655 Tyee Rd., 颅Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.
Thanks again for your 颅support!
Dave Obee is editor and publisher of the Times 91原创
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