Heartland Community Foundation Awards Grant to Smoky Hills PBS

The Heartland Community Foundation has awarded Smoky Hills PBS with a grant for $1,500 to support the station's Literacy Leadership Program.

The Literacy Leadership Program is an effort from Smoky Hills PBS to engage and inspire children to be ready and eager to learn. One component of this program is the First Book Club, in which Smoky Hills PBS gives free books to children enrolled in Head Start programs.

With these funds from the Heartland Community Foundation, more than 250 children in Trego, Rooks and Ellis Counties, who are enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs will receive free books during the 2021-2022 school year. For some, these books will be the only ones they own.

"The purpose of providing these free books is to encourage parents to read with their children regularly. Providing educational resources to children in central and western Kansas is a very important part of the work we do at Smoky Hills PBS," said Amanda Smith, Smoky Hills PBS Marketing Director. "We want to thank the Heartland Community Foundation for their support in allowing us to continue this program in Trego, Rooks and Ellis County!"

The Heartland Community Foundation was founded in 2007 to serve as a vehicle for charitable giving benefiting Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties. The Foundation is a permanent source of charitable assets to meet both the emerging and existing needs of the local communities. The Heartland Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

(Information courtesy SHPBS.)