Albany, NY – Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D,C – Forestburgh) today announced that Literacy Volunteers of Sullivan County and Literacy Orange will be receiving $21,172 and $50,620, respectively, from the New York State Education Department. The funding results from a statewide allocation enacted in this year’s budget to which the Assembly provided an additional $1 million.

“Both Literacy Volunteers of Sullivan and Literacy Orange provide an invaluable service to our community,” said Assemblywoman Gunther. “Literacy is a fundamental skill – one too many people do not have. With such a challenging job market, increasing literacy skills is paramount to individuals finding meaningful and gainful employment.”

Connie Keller, Director of Literacy Volunteers of Sullivan County, was thrilled when she learned that the New York State Assembly provided additional funding for literacy. "At a time when so many adults are coming to Literacy Volunteers asking for more literacy skills to obtain jobs, this additional money is so important. We have been trying to do more with so much less, given the New York State Education cuts from two years ago. Adults in Sullivan County will directly benefit from this addition to the budget."

“This funding will help to address a critical need in our community,” said Christine Rolando, executive director of Literacy Orange. “We have a long waiting list of over 200 adults throughout our county. With trained volunteers we work to improve our adult student’s literacy level and help them achieve their goals, which may be as simple as reading a bedtime story to their child, or a prescription bottle. Reading is a life skill that impacts our communities. We are thankful for Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther’s hard work and support on behalf of our Literacy students.”