Ferst Readers of Greene and Putnam Counties want to thank those who have given the gift of literacy to our local children so far this year. We are about halfway to our goal of 500 children. But we’re not there yet, so please consider “adopting a reader” — or more than one! Your gift of $36 will provide a year’s worth of new, age-appropriate books, one each month, for a local child.

While our country is struggling to deal with the effects of a worldwide pandemic, we are also going through a nationwide epidemic that continues to go largely unnoticed and untreated: illiteracy. According to the National Right to Read Foundation, the number of adults that are classified as functionally illiterate increases by some 2.25 million each year. Illiteracy is an important issue facing our future generations, and Ferst Readers is doing its part to find a solution to this staggering problem. With your help and support, we can offer society a generation of children who not only can read, but enjoy it too!

Please be a literacy champion for young children in Greene and Putnam counties by supporting Ferst Readers. Checks should be made out to Ferst Readers and can be mailed to either P. O. Box 111, Greensboro 30642 or P.O. Box 4283, Eatonton 31024.  If you prefer to make your donation online via credit card, please use this link: https://bit.ly/AdoptaReaderGreenePutnam. This link is available until the end of the year. Donations by mail are gratefully accepted at any time. Ferst Readers is a 501(c)3 organization; your gift is tax deductible.