On Friday, September 7, 2018, United Way of St. Joseph County took part in Downtown South Bend’s First Fridays.
Each month, Downtown South Bend hosts booths, shops, entertainment and more for the community. Partnering with Ball State University, United Way of St. Joseph County was in attendance for the September First Fridays: Dog Days of Summer.
Ball State University provided materials that allowed visitors to stop by and put together literacy kits. The kits made were graciously donated to United Way of St. Joseph County, and will be distributed among their early learning programs.
The evening was made extra special with a presentation of the literacy kits by Brian Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way Worldwide. United Way of St. Joseph County President and CEO Laura Jensen commented on the night saying, “We are so grateful for the support from Ball State. Reading proficiency by third grade is a key predictor of career and graduation success and we want to make sure that all children in our community have the opportunity to hit this crucial milestone,” she said. “To have Brian Gallagher there to present the literacy kits made the night that much more meaningful. It was truly an honor to receive these kits and I know they will be extremely beneficial to our early learning programs.”
Check out the photos below from the event!
