United Way of the Coastal Empire joined hands with students, volunteers, teachers, and corporate partners across the Liberty County community to celebrate “Read Across Liberty.”  This special day is held annually to promote early childhood literacy and celebrate the joy of reading. Hundreds of volunteers read aloud to students in classrooms of Liberty County School System and on Fort Stewart before distributing a book to every child.  More than 3,100 books were distributed to students.

“Education is a corner stone of United Way’s mission, so we are thrilled to offer a program like this that promotes early childhood literacy and supports literacy nutrition by providing young readers a book to enjoy at home,” said Deb Thompson, President and CEO of United Way of the Coastal Empire. 

“Advancements in technology and the new digital book era have made reading aloud somewhat of a lost art, but studies show that children thrive when it’s a part of their development. We are grateful for the partnership with the local volunteers, schools, and Vaden Nissan of Hinesville, who generously purchased the books, that made today’s event possible.”

United Way invests in programs to help children and youth achieve their potential by improving academic success and fostering positive youth development. Over the past 15 years, the Read Across Liberty program has placed nearly 40,000 books in the hands of Liberty County’s youngest students. Motivating children to read is a critical factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.