Grant Helps All Ages Read Together Program

All Ages Read Together received an $8,500 grant in 2017 from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Community Investment Funds grant cycle to support its work to assist more than 20 percent of children in Fairfax County who enter kindergarten without exposure to preschool. They shared the following testimonial to demonstrate the impact of this support on their community.

All Ages Read Together is so grateful for the grant from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to support our efforts to help students acquire early literacy, cognitive, social, fine motor, and other skills essential for success. AART provides free school readiness programs to low income children who are either on Head Start waiting lists or do not qualify for publicly funded programs. These children would otherwise begin kindergarten with little or no exposure to reading or a classroom setting.

The below story comes from the mother of one of our students and demonstrates the impact that your support has on children and families in our community. - Michelle Sullivan, Executive Director, All Ages Read Together

I approached All Ages Read Together (AART) because we were going through a very rough time financially and AART helped us both educationally and personally. I don’t know what we would have done to prepare Khaleel for school because we couldn’t get into Head Start and we couldn’t afford preschool. Kindergarten went very well for him. Khaleel is now in Fourth Grade and doing very well in school, including his enrollment in the Spanish immersion program as well as performing at grade level in both math and reading. The one thing I particularly liked about AART was the human connection. The entire staff and volunteers were so kind to Khaleel and us. We felt part of the family! Three weeks ago, we again turned to AART for help. We are adopting our nephew, Samuel, who lost his mom. He only speaks French and will begin kindergarten next fall. AART found a space for Samuel. AART is the only place for Samuel because we want a good first beginning for him. He has already been through so much in his young life.

-Toure (Khaleel’s mom)

Please consider a donation to the Community Investment Funds to support children and families like Khaleel’s.