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Every chapter of a child's life is worth cheering for. And when we fight for youth success, we empower the next generation of learners, leaders and achievers. It's why we've decided to get off the sidelines and help turn the page on our region's literacy crisis.

Our United Way, in partnership with The Chris Long Foundation, is launching a 25-day crowdfunding initiative to amplify the impact of the First Quarter for Literacy campaign, an initiative of Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End Chris Long to help Philadelphia area children improve their reading skills. The First Quarter for Literacy initiative will put new books into the hands of 5,000 local children.

This Second Quarter for Literacy push bolsters Long’s initial investment by making additional strategic investments into programs designed to help more children throughout the region read on grade level by the end of third grade.
This is a critical moment where each and every one of us has the unique opportunity to play their role in shaping the futures of those who hold that future. Our goal is to raise at least $25,000 through our crowdfunding efforts, which will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.

Through our Go Fund Me page, we are inviting each and every member of the Greater Philadelphia region to get off the sidelines to support our youngest learners. Grade level reading by 4th grade is a critical milestone, as children begin to transition from learning to read, to reading to learn. Children who are not reading on grade level by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.

To combat this problem, contributions to the Second Quarter for Literacy initiative will help:

  • Expand the Parent-Child Home Program to provide more families in need with the knowledge, skills, and materials they need to prepare their children for success in pre-K and beyond
  • Launch a 1:1 interactive, web-based tutoring program designed for use in classrooms for grades 1-3
  • Expand Philadelphia’s Read by 4th campaign into suburban communities

The Second Quarter for Literacy will run through December 31. Contributions can be made at www.gofundme.com/2nd-quarter-for-literacy, with opportunities to receive rewards and prizes for giving while supplies last.

We invite you to join this 25-day push and help us reach our goal by donating today. You can also engage with us on social media at @PhillySJUnited and share the link with your networks to amplify our impact. To make a lasting difference, it's not enough to simply know about a problem. It also requires stepping up to be that difference - for this generation, and the next.

The movement we've been waiting for is here. The leaders of that movement are each and every one of us. The time to act is now.

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