YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee Receives $230,000 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Adult Literacy
YWCA President & CEO Sharon K. Roberson, Dollar General Literacy Foundation Executive Director and YWCA Vice President of Youth Programs and Family Learning Center Vanessa Helbig-Johnson at YWCA’s administrative and FLC building in Green Hills.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – June 4, 2025 – The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee a $230,000 grant to support adult literacy. The funds are a part of a record-setting, one-day donation in the Foundation’s history in May 2025 of more than $13.2 million to support adult, family, and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General stores operate.
“Education is the foundation for opportunity, and for nearly a century, YWCA has been providing literacy services to our community—first through our historic Blue Triangle Branch and now through our Family Learning Center,” said Sharon K. Roberson, President and CEO of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. “For three decades, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been a vital partner in this work. This generous $230,000 grant will allow us to serve even more adult learners who are determined to build better lives for themselves and their families. We are profoundly grateful for DGLF’s continued investment in our students and in the power of education.”
The grant will enable YWCA to provide free adult education classes and tutoring for up to 450 adults through YWCA’s Family Learning Center and help dozens of students achieve their high school equivalency diplomas.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership of the YWCA’s adult literacy programs,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Though much has evolved in our more than 30 years of partnership, the one constant is our shared desire to uplift our neighbors and provide opportunities for brighter futures through the power of education. We are grateful for the YWCA’s ongoing commitment to helping individuals achieve their educational goals.”
The DGLF supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, the DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. Since its inception 32 years ago in 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $271 million to more than 25,000 organizations supporting more than 23 million individuals in their educational journeys.
The Foundation also plans to launch its sixth annual The Yellow Glasses Project campaign on July 21, 2025, in which customers can purchase yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each to benefit the DGLF.
About YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee
For more than 125 years, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has helped women, girls, and families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee build safer, more self-sufficient lives. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Programs include Domestic Violence Services, Girls Inc. at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, AMEND Together, Dress for Success, the Family Learning Center, and Social Justice & Advocacy Programs. For more information, visit www.ywcanashville.com , follow us on Instagram @YWCANashville, and find us on Facebook facebook.com/YWCANashville.
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