Literacy - a core focus of Altrusa

Altrusa is all about leadership and helping our communities, and a core focus of how we do that is through literacy projects. Altrusa of Montrose has a strong commitment to enhancing the literacy within our region. Our Literacy Committee has set its sights high with a total of 11 literacy projects in mind for this fiscal year (June 2014 through May 2015):

1. Montrose Adult Basic Literacy - we provide funds to help adults with expenses related to attaining their GED credentials

2. Apple Award - we recognize teachers from our local schools for providing educational excellence

3. Make a Difference Day - we participate in this nation-wide volunteer day with a local literacy project. This year, we plan to provide a set of board books to each young parent (or soon-to-be parent) at Passage Charter School and help them understand the importance of reading to their babies.

4. Season’s Readings - we partner with the Montrose Daily Press in collecting gently-used children's books, bundling books with ribbons, and having HHS distribute them to lower-income children in December. Altrusa supplements the collection with additional Spanish-language books.

5. Literacy committee/MHS ASTRA collaboration for Tandem families - Altrusa provides additional financial support to MHS ASTRA (our high school affiliate) for them to provide gift baskets to Tandem Families

6. Buddy Bag project for homeless children - we provide bags of books and basic writing supplies for homeless children

7. Read Across America - we lead a celebration of NEA's literacy program (Dr Seuss Day) at Haven House, an organization that assists families and individuals in adjusting from Homelessness to a self-sustaining lifestyle.

8. MRLD Summer Reading Program - our donation helps our local library district provide books to children participating in their Summer Reading Program

9. Rotary/Montrose Regional Library/Altrusa first grade collaboration book giveaway - we partner with the Library and Rotary in sending all First Graders in our area on a field trip to the library, helping them obtain library cards, and providing free books to each child to keep permanently.

10. Nursery Rhyme booklets - we partner with Pediatric Associates which is part of the national Reach Out and Read program (Reach Out and Read trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at pediatric checkups). Altrusa provides booklets for pediatricians to give to the parents of their young patients.

11. Vista Charter School library - we are providing funds to help this school build its library

If you are passionate about the importance of literacy and would enjoy volunteering for projects like these, please contact us. We would love to share our vision of service with you and welcome you to our Altrusa family.