Women Who Care donate to reading program.

Women Who Care donate to reading program.

#OceanaWomenWhoCare

PENTWATER — Oceana’s 150 Women Who Care (WWC) met at Gull Landing last week and voted that each member write a $100 personal check to Oceana’s new Read Early, Read Often initiative (RERO).

Led by the Community Foundation for Oceana County (CFOC), RERO is geared towards encouraging parents to read to their children — starting at birth. Reading early and often teaches children to listen and focus, introduces new words, builds imagination, and improves school readiness and future success in school and life.

Data shows that only 37 percent of Oceana third graders are proficient in English language arts, driving community partners to look for ways to bolster early literacy. Moreover, only one in five Oceana high school students successfully complete a college degree or technical credential. The RERO program seeks to get to the root of the problem early in a child’s life to impact long-term success.

“In my job as CFOC executive director, I work with many folks of all income levels who have personal goals of wanting to make a difference,” said WWC member Tammy Carey. “They’re looking for effective and meaningful ways of doing that. They may contribute to one of CFOC’s 128 funds formed for specific purposes, create their own advised fund, or include a provision in their estate plan to leave a gift of money, stock or real estate to CFOC.”

“Members of Oceana’s Women Who Care are among those motivated to achieve such personal goals of helping others. And by joining together at our quarterly meetings, they can collectively make a big impact to address today’s problems and opportunities. We are so grateful for their support, as this will allow the RERO program to fully launch in the coming month.”

These latest gifts boost the total giving by WWC members to some $234,400 since the group’s first meeting in June of 2012. The group meets for an hour on the first Tuesday of March, June, September and December. They learn about three worthy causes serving Oceana and choose one that everyone agrees to support with $100 personal checks. Those absent still send in their checks. The next meeting is Sept. 5 at location to be determined.

New members of this joint effort to support Oceana causes are welcome. For more information, contact Amy LaBarge at 313.268.2086, or check out http://facebook.com/womenwhocareofoceanacounty.

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