• By Don Dwiggins
• Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Library Awarded Grant from Kate B. Reynolds Foundation

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust's Great Expectations initiative is investing between $30 and $40 million dollars over the next 10 to 15 years to give Forsyth County children, regardless of income, the foundation necessary to succeed in school and life by time they finish kindergarten.

In a program formally kicking off the Great Expectations initiative at the Carver School Road Branch Library, the Forsyth County Public Library was awarded $330,000 one of three local organizations to receive grants totaling $1.4 million.

"We knew we wanted to do something with the Library," said Kate B. Reynolds President Karen McNeil-Miller. "The Library has been a good partner for the Trust for many years. The Library is and certainly should be the centerpiece of so many lives regardless of income but particularly with families with disadvantaged income."

McNeil-Miller emphasized that the Library's long history of forming partnerships to address community needs and provide services was an important factor in being selected as a Great Expectations grant recipient. "Just the willingness of the Library and the mission of the Library has been something that we just could not resist, it was a no-brainer as they say."

The grant allocated to the Library will be used to support seven library locations and two bookmobile units to create new and engaging learning spaces geared toward pre-school aged children. It will also provide new books, book sets, DVDs and technology to promote a positive literary experience.