After two cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of those who have been supporting the Lake Country Ferst Foundation finally got a chance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of organization’s founding with a gala held at Variety Works in Madison on March 31.
Dr Stan DeJarnett, former Morgan County School Superintendent and a longtime supporter of the foundation, was Master of Ceremonies. He recognized Ferst staff, Morgan volunteers, donors and attendees, including attendees: Mayor Fred Perriman his wife Marie; Bob Mackey, the CEO North Central Georgia Boys and Girls Club andLindsay Peaster, Morgan County Teacher of the Year, Dr. Wayne Myers, former Principal of Morgan Primary school, introduced speakers: Robin Ferst Marhaver, the founder of the Ferst Foundation, Davida Morgan-Washington, current president, Stacy Chapman, Morgan County Primary School principal.
MaCayla Cook, an early Ferst books recipient, provided the evening’s music The event was catered by Hallie Jane’s.
Ferst Readers was founded in Morgan County by Marhaver in 1999 after she was inspired by a book donation program started by Dolly Parton in Tennessee.
Marhaver was an avid reader as a child and her experiences fueled her vision to provide children with books that would launch their imaginations and prepare them for success in life.
Ferst Readers has grown exponentially since 2000, distributing books to children all over Georgia with Putnam County becoming the second Georgia county to come aboard in 2001 with Greene soon to follow the next year. Since then Ferst has become a resource for children in nine other states, including Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and the Virginia/D.C. area. Now headquartered in Atlanta with an Operations Center in Madison, Ferst Readers is poised to become a leader in early childhood literacy.
The vision of Ferst Readers is to create better learners, brighter futures and stronger communities by giving every child under five access to quality books in their homes. The foundation’s five-year goals include expanding nationwide book delivery to over 70,000 children monthly focusing program delivery on underserved communities and low-income families increasing operation to at least 15 states
Ferst Readers participants receive a high-quality, developmentally appropriate book mailed to them at home every month from birth through age five at no cost to the family. It’s Leap into Books parent newsletter includes a book guide, activities, and valuable literacy resources to help make parents effective as their child’s “first teacher.” Ferst Readers also provides support for parents and childcare centers through online resources and “Conversations Count,” a literacy training workshop for parents and caregivers that offers strategies to create a rich language environment in the home.
Ferst Readers has dedicated volunteers who serve on Community Action Teams (CATs). CATs host reading events, raise funds, and partner with stakeholders in their counties to provide books to children in their community. If you’d like more information about volunteering with an existing CAT or starting a program in your area, please see our website or call 404-400-7710.
Ferst Readers is thankful for the generosity of foundations and individual donors who champion the work of early childhood literacy. Charity Navigator has evaluated Ferst Readers, giving its highest rating of four stars. This year marks is the sixth consecutive four-star evaluation for Ferst Readers
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought so much uncertainty and change to the world, causing many services to pause or shut down completely. During this challenging time, Ferst Readers has continued to thrive, delivering books directly to children’s homes.
Although many in-person fundraising events could not be held, Ferst Readers’ amazing volunteers pivoted to online fundraising, assuring that their communities would continue to make progress in early childhood literacy – one book and one child at a time.