Local fundraising matters
Yellowstone Valley Gives is April 30 and May 1! This community-wide giving event is all about rallying support for local nonprofits. View our YVG page here: https://www.yellowstonegives.org/organizations/united-way-of-yellowstone-county
United Way of Yellowstone County is one of more than 100 nonprofits participating. We're raising money for our literacy efforts. Early reading doesn't just help individual kids -- it builds a solid foundation for our entire community. We know that:
- Even before children can read, reading to kids help them develop skills that help them become lifelong learners.
- Children who have more books at home tend to go on to become strong readers. 61% of low-income children have no children’s books at home
- Kids who don't read on grade-level at third grade struggle to catch up.
- A strong education system supports local workforces and a robust economy.
- United Way of Yellowstone County focuses on giving kids the tools they need to ensure a bright future -- no matter their background.
How do we support kids?
Programs like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Reach Out and Read help children build home libraries. We just launched Bubbles and Books, a new program that creates take-home libraries in local laundromats. We'll soon be rolling out Read in Color, which improves access to Little Free Libraries.
We also support programs like Lantern, a direct-text parenting advice program that offers reading tips, among other topics. United We Read places 100 volunteers in local schools to read to kids.