The Gazebo Gazette
PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) —
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded The LAD Project a $5,000 grant to support its youth literacy program. This local grant is a part of more than $3.5 million recently awarded to nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools in Dollar General’s hometown communities across the country to help extend a brighter future for K-12 students.
“MINDS – Mentor hearts, Inspire minds, Nurture souls, Develop academically, Spiritually grow”
This is the mission statement of The LAD Project in Pass Christian. The LAD Project is a faith-based 501c3 nonprofit corporation established in 2015 that exists to empower at-risk youth and families to achieve their highest potential. LAD serves students from Pass Christian Elementary School, DeLisle Elementary School, and Pass Christian Middle School in grades K-6 who voluntarily participate in an after-school tutoring and mentorship program.
The LAD Project focuses on enhancing the whole child including body, mind, and spirit. LAD recognizes that students achieve academic success and their greatest potential when the family in involved and healthy. Ergo, they provide community outreach activities and programs to assist parents as well. LAD provides resources, referrals, and general family support to assist parents in aiding children who are academically facing challenges. The LAD Project strives to strengthen the community by strengthening each family they serve. All services are free of charge to anyone who needs them.
LAD will utilize the Dollar General Literacy Grant funding to purchase: (a) Science Research Associates reading resource laboratories, (b) chapter books the students can check out, take home, and have the parents read with them, (c) talking phonics cards for students with hearing issues or cochlear implants, and (d) teacher resource books. For more information on The LAD Project, you can contact their executive director Ms. Tammie DeDeaux Gray at (228) 731-4679, via email theladproject2015@gmail.com, or on their website https://www.theladproject.org.
“As the immense need for accessible educational materials and resources for our country’s youth continues, we are proud to provide vital support to local literacy programs,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “The Dollar General Literacy Foundation believes every investment in the education of a young student is an investment in a brighter future. We are grateful to the local schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations that are serving students and helping them thrive.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam.
A comprehensive list of grant recipients may be found online at www.dgliteracy.org
(Photo submitted by Pass Christian Rotary Club in 2024)
