1/11/07

Food Lion donates $2,000 to church reading program
By Brian Jarvis

BRIAN JARVIS/Manning Times
Rev. O’Donald Dingle (far left) joins members of his congregation at the Holly Hill Missionary Baptist Church to receive a donation from Food Lion. Standing behind a check for $2,000 is program director Emily Brown and Food Lion manager Monroe Robinson.

The Holly Hill Missionary Baptist Church took a step closer to their dream of one day building a faith-based community center for both members and the community at large, thanks to a $2,000 check from Food Lion.

“It’s very needed for our children,” said Rev. O’Donald Dingle. “We don’t take enough time with them. Look in the community and you’ll see them led astray. That’s why we’re focusing on the younger generation.”

Geared toward an after-school program scheduled to start within weeks, the funds will be used to purchase books, cassettes, paper, snacks and other material to support the church’s new “Ready 2 Read” literacy program.

“Reading is essential,” said program director and clerk Emily Brown. “We want to encourage them on their way to being successful.”

Noting statistics that suggest as many as 25 percent of elementary students in South Carolina can’t read at their grade level, Brown said the program will target students in grades K-4, especially at-risk pupils or those from disadvantaged families in hard-to-reach areas including Bloomville, Sugar Hill, Foreston, Jordan, Davis Station and Summerton.

In addition, Brown said, the church is asking the community to donate used computers as part of a recent partnership with the National Cristina Foundation.

“We provide basic training on the computers in hope of sparking an interest in technology literacy to families who do not have computers at home or the means to access them after school hours,” Brown said. “The time kids spend on a computer is time they won’t be on the street. They complain there’s nothing to do in Manning, so they find things to do that aren’t positive.

“We also want to keep them in the community, not leave the community after they graduate,” Brown added. “And naturally we want to thank Food Lion for the opportunity to expand our programs.”

Food Lion, for its part, said that “we feel its important to serve the communities in which our customers and associates live. The work of the Food Lion Charitable Foundation is one way we give back. On behalf of Food Lion, we appreciate the efforts of Holly Hill Missionary Baptist Church and are thrilled to support its mission.”

The Holly Hill Missionary Baptist Church is located at 1133 Foxbrook Lane in Manning. To donate a computer or for more information, please contact Emily Brown at (803) 435-4152.