6/4/10
Media Advisory
BARBARA BUSH TO ANNOUNCE $380,000 IN NEW GRANTS SUPPORTING FAMILY LITERACY IN MAINE
CONTACT
Becky Dyer, Maine Family Literacy Initiative Director
(207) 441-9965
becky@mainefamilyliteracy.com
Benita Somerfield, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
202-955-6183
WHERE/WHEN
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
11:00 am
J. Richard Martin Community Center
189 Alfred Street (Rt. 111)
Biddeford, Maine 04005
EVENT DETAILS
The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy’s Maine Family Literacy Initiative will award grants to 8 organizations to plan and design a program that meets the needs of their communities and to 14 organizations to provide quality family literacy programming. Barbara Bush will give brief remarks before recognizing this year’s grant winners. Mrs. Bush will be joined by First Lady of Maine Karen Baldacci, Maine Family Literacy Initiative Director, Becky Dyer, as well as guest student speaker Amanda Thornton from the Community School in Camden.
BACKGROUND
Since 1996, The Maine Family Literacy Initiative has awarded 226 grants totaling $3,957,090. To learn more, visit www.mainefamilyliteracy.com
Founded by Barbara Bush in 1989, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy supports the development and expansion of family literacy programs — in settings where parents and children read and learn together — across the United States. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations, correctional institutions, homeless shelters, schools and school districts, libraries and community- and faith-based agencies. As of April 2010, the Foundation had awarded $35 million to 795 family literacy programs in 50 states including the nation’s capital.In addition to its national program, the Foundation supports the work of 4 statewide initiative in Maine, Texas, Maryland and Florida. The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is a fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit www.barbarabushfoundation.com.