Dollar General Literacy Foundation donates $1.7M to Save the Children

Dollar General has awarded Save the Children with the company’s Because Kindness Matters Award and announced a $1.7 million grant to the global humanitarian organization from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to help ensure children in rural America have increased access to quality education and nutritious foods. The award was featured in the Reader’s Digest October issue and was created in partnership with the media brand to honor a nonprofit making an impact on the major retailer’s hometowns.

“Save the Children has a long legacy extending over 100 years of helping children in need in our hometown communities and around the world,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy and executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “We are honored to present them with the Because Kindness Matters Award for their shared commitment to advancing literacy, addressing hunger and extending hope through compassion and kindness.” 

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Since 2020, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has provided Save the Children with more than $5 million to address critical literacy needs in rural and underserved communities, including training and technical assistance for teachers, support of the Rural Library Network, and helping ensure children have access to educational materials and nutritious foods.

 “Save the Children is grateful for this recognition and for Dollar General’s tremendous support, which is creating lasting change in the lives of children and families we work with in rural America,” said Betsy Zorio, vice president of U.S. Programs at Save the Children. “We look forward to collaborating for years to come to give children in rural America a healthy, strong foundation to thrive as learners and in life."

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The Because Kindness Matters Award complements the company’s DG Kindness awards, which highlight employees’ positive impacts across the country through DG’s mission of Serving Others. The award also is part of a Because Kindness Matters partnership with Reader’s Digest, which features Dollar General employees including Johanna Sampson and Joi Bass. Sampson is a DG warehouse supervisor in Ardmore, Okla. who volunteers at The Landing Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to serving at-risk youth in her community. Bass serves as DG’s director of diversity and inclusion and created a community service initiative providing feminine hygiene products for middle and high school students in need.