News 5 and the Scripps Howard Foundation gave a $10,000 grant Monday to the Barbershop Literacy Project in honor of National Reading Day.
The Barbershop Literacy Project’s mission is to increase the access of high-quality books to children who frequent particular barbershops and support the barbers with literacy resources to serve as mentors for the children and their families.
The grant was open to organizations benefiting from the Scripps Howard Foundation's inaugural "If you give a child a book . . . " campaign.
Through the campaign, Scripps employees throughout the country – including News 5 – donated money to Scripps Howard Foundation to purchase books for children living in poverty in their communities. The Foundation then used the funds to purchase books at a discounted rate from Scholastic Book Fairs.
All Scripps television and radio stations in 27 additional markets chose the nonprofits in their communities that would receive book donations. Scripps Howard Foundation invited those organizations – fewer than 30 – to apply for one of five $10,000 literacy grants.
