Editor, Gazette-Journal:
On Sept. 18 and 19, mouse clicks will mean money for local nonprofits. The third annual Amazing Raise, a virtual, Richmond-based fundraising competition, will put dozens of Gloucester and Mathews organizations head-to-head for the chance to win donations and prizes.
Which noble cause is urgent enough to merit the attention of donors? According to Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester (LVG), one participating organization, the answer can be found without leaving your neighborhood.
A 2008-2010 report by the U.S. Census Bureau stated that 16 percent of Gloucester County residents between the ages of 18 and 24 have less than a high school diploma or its equivalent. For county residents over 25, that percentage is 12.6. The poverty rate for Gloucester’s 25-and-older population—a group for whom poverty level is determined by educational status—is at a staggering 26.3 percent.
National statistics show that areas with a low literacy rate are sus...
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