Ministry of Literacy

The Grace Lutheran Church Ministry of Literacy began in 2013.  The idea for the program came from Jack Smith as a way to honor his late wife, Betty Smith’s lifelong advocacy for children and literacy. The Smith family provided the seed money to get the program up and running and the program continues to be funded through donations and grants. The ministry provides for an afterschool program that serves 12 first and second grade students from McKinley and Saints Mary & Mathias elementary schools.

​The goal of the program is to provide assistance in closing the achievement gap in the area of literacy for identified students. There is no charge to the families who participate in the program. The students come on Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00. The program includes a snack, read aloud time and small group centers for spelling, writing and one on one reading with an adult volunteer. There are two, twelve week  sessions each semester and a four week session in the summer. The Literacy Board oversees the program and schedules all of the volunteers. Six or seven volunteers are needed at each session to provide the help at each center and to serve the snack. 

There are also volunteers who provide the snacks that are served. The director of the program is paid for ten hours a week to coordinate with the teachers at the two schools, communicate with the parents and to plan and supervise each session.