I became aware of the 3rd grade reading problem in Georgia through my work with the Centerville Rotary Club. And when I explained the need in one of our staff meetings it became our new community cause at HM Advisors. We’ve always believed in giving back to our community and we’re proud to get involved in this project.
The statistics couldn’t be clearer. If a 3rd grader can’t read he’s unlikely to ever graduate from high school. Most High school dropouts hover around the poverty level in our state. They can’t compete in the job market. Our prison population can be predicted partially on 3rd grade reading scores.
Why single out 3rd graders? Why not 5th grade or 1st grade? Because through the 3rd grade children learn to read. After the 3rd grade they read to learn. Reading is no longer taught after 3rd grade. Children who fall behind in 3rd grade need help to get caught up and many never make it. Actually, statewide 2 out of 3 children can’t read proficiently at the end of the 3rd grade.
The United Way of Central Georgia is doing great work in this area and we’ve decided to lend them a hand. Their program called Read United brings in community volunteers to help tutor struggling students. I’ve been a tutor with Centerville Rotary Club for the past two years and have seen the results firsthand. The program works. Test scores have improved dramatically.
How are we helping at HM Advisors? First we gave a donation of $1,000 which is designated to the existing program at Centerville Elementary School.
Second we’ve designed a tee shirt with the slogan “This Shirt Helps Kids Read”. We will provide these shirts for a donation of any amount. 100% of the donations will be provided to the Read United program.
We’re excited about what Read United can do and we think it needs to be expanded to other schools. If you want to help out you can call or drop by our office and ask for a shirt. Pay whatever you can afford whether is $5 or $500. Again 100% of the money donated goes to Read United.
HM Advisors has been around for a long time. Over 70 years in fact. We’ve always been a big supporter of our community. We hope you’ll join us in this effort to make sure our students have everything they need to succeed.