FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Information: Judy Golden, President, 508-650-4979, judy@oousa.org

Operation Outreach-USA Receives Award from P&G

Operation Outreach-USA, a Natick-based non-profit literacy and character education program, has received one of only ten Live, Learn and Thrive awards granted this year by P&G Corporation of Cincinnati, OH. Presented to Operation Outreach President, Judy Golden, by Dan Rajczak, head of P&G’s Pet Health Division, on October 6^th, the award comes with $107,500 in financial support over two years.  The funding will be used to donate books and a unique character education curriculum to school children in need, and to help Operation Outreach build its capacity to share information about this program with other potential sponsors.

For 15 years, Operation Outreach has cultivated more literate, compassionate, and responsible students in pre-kindergarten through middle schools across the US, by providing books that emphasize problem-solving, courage, respect, and empathy, while promoting increased vocabulary and reading skills, along with connections to social studies and science.  Teachers receive grade-specific manuals of guided reading lessons and activities.  At the conclusion of the classroom program, each student takes home two books and a reading guide to share with parents and siblings.  For some children, these are the first books they have ever owned.

P&G’s award recognizes Operation Outreach-USA for a commitment consistent with the Live, Learn and Thrive focus: To help children in need by providing programs that enhance their ability to learn and that develop the life skills they need to thrive.  This grant will complement funding provided to Operation Outreach for many years by P&G brand Iams pet foods. Other major Operation Outreach sponsors include Target Corporation, and Northrop Grumman, Bank of America, Verizon, Perini, and Tiger Woods Foundations.