President Mary Keely (left) presents Jackie Chaney with a check to support adult literacy education.

February 20, 2007

Putnam Rotary today announced a new grant to encourage adult literacy in the community. The "Happy Dollars" grant will be matched in full by a second grant from State Farm Insurance, a total contribution which will go far to support Literacy Volunteers.

Literacy Board member Jackie Chaney in accepting the check commented, "People don't realize how much is done with such limited resources."

Putnam Rotary has supported adult literacy in recent years by donations of computers and software, and with teaching and evaluation materials. As part of a Rotary district effort, literacy students have been provided with personal dictionaries.

Operating at the Putnam Career & Technical Center with an office in the Putnam main library, the Literacy Volunteers number about 45 tutors who serve without compensation to offer one-on-one instruction on request to adults who are unable to read above the fifth-grade level.

Many of the literacy clients in recent years are new residents in the area for whom English is not their native language.