Readings Foundation grant recipients 2017

The Readings Foundation has chosen 10 Victorian organisations to share $128,349 worth of grants in 2017.

The grant recipients are:

• African Communities Foundation Australia: $15,000 to support a weekly seniors homework club in the Collingwood and Carlton areas, supporting African- and Arabic-speaking young people in years seven-10.
• Banksia Gardens Community Services: $10,000 to support the centre’s Aiming High VCE support program, which will help students from disadvantaged backgrounds with a commitment to their studies overcome barriers to achieve their best in VCE.
• Berry Street Victoria: $17,900 for a new Readers and Writers program and to purchase a literacy library for vulnerable young people, at their new school campus in Ballarat.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: $11,500 to purchase three children’s books for every child who participates in their Fitzroy and North Melbourne ‘HIPPY’ programs for disadvantaged families.
• Church of All Nations: $20,000 to support the Carlton Family Learning Program, which targets low levels of literacy on the Carlton Housing Estates among children and families.
• Maldon Athenaeum Library: $8,000 to support the Tarrengower Chapters book club at Tarrengower Women’s Prison in Maldon, a project that creates a safe community of women and helps members become articulate, makes connections, voice opinions and gain emotional sustenance.
• Odyssey House: $10,000 for Kids in Focus, a specialist child and family support program that provides a range of intensive services to families affected by parental alcohol and other drug problems.
• Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education: $20,000 to support its English language class for asylum seekers living in the local area, along with general support as they settle into the local community.
• River Nile Learning Centre: $7,949 to expand its English Language Program to meet the growing demand of newly-arrived refugee and asylum seeker women.
• The Smith Family: $8,000 to support its Let’s Read national early years literacy program, which promotes reading to children aged zero to five years in disadvantaged communities.

The recipients were chosen from 67 applications. The foundation will also continue to support of the Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowships for 2016.

Readings donates 10% of its profits to the Readings Foundation each year, in addition to donations from customers.

For more information, visit the Readings website here.

Category: Local news