The Weld Trust awarded $1,101,063 in grants toward programs focused on childhood literacy and food security in the first quarter of 2022.
With the goal of helping children be ready for kindergarten and attain grade-level reading by third grade, the childhood literacy grants were given to nonprofit organizations and schools across Weld County. According to the Colorado Department of Education, 2021 Annual Report on the Colorado READ Act, if a child struggles with reading in the third grade, they “rarely reach the academic level of their grade-level peers and are four times more likely to drop out of high school.”
The Weld Trust childhood literacy funding was awarded for resources and curriculum for preschoolers to improve school readiness. They also provided funding for school-age literacy programs to include books and bilingual materials, school reading specialists, and tutoring/mentoring for children with specialized learning needs.
The food security grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations for programs designed to put nutritious foods in the hands of individuals and families. The grants support students of all ages, medically compromised patients and their families, as well as individuals across the County.
The grants support food security programs to ensure students have quality food both at school and to take home. The Weld Trust also awarded grants to programs that deliver meals to individuals and families in need at their homes. Finally, The Weld Trust provided a grant to allow nonprofit partner agencies access to affordable food in Weld County.
The Weld Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote excellence in health and education for the citizens of Weld County. In addition to the funding initiatives of childhood literacy and food security, The Weld Trust has five other initiatives in the areas of health and education. To learn more about The Weld Trust and its funding initiatives, please visit www.WeldTrust.org.
The Weld Trust – Childhood Literacy and Food Security grant recipients:
- Aims Community College
- Book Trust
- Brigit’s County Childhood Resource
- Early Childhood University
- Envision
- For Our Children
- Meals on Wheels of Greeley
- North Range Behavioral Health
- Project Angel Heart
- Reach Out and Read
- St. Vrain School District RE-1J
- The Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans Schools
- United Way of Weld County
- Weld Food Bank
Source: Colorado Department of Education
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/readactreport2021
