Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, RISE Augusta has received 13,000 brand-new books for 2025! Each of these books represents a spark of imagination, a gateway to knowledge, and a powerful tool for empowering young minds.

On October 8, 2025, RISE Augusta launched Winning Wednesdays in partnership with the Harris Literacy Center—an exciting new series of free mini-workshops for parents and caregivers of children receiving afternoon tutoring. While their children learn, caregivers can participate in engaging sessions on topics such as everyday financial skills, internet safety, nutrition education, career development, family crafts and much more. Incentives and refreshments make each session both enjoyable and rewarding. 

We are so grateful for her work ethic and her heart for our mission. Cindy, you will be sorely missed and will always be part of the RISE Augusta family.

In 2024, RISE donated more than 41,000 books to kids, but leaders say their real focus is ensuring students can read on grade level by third grade, a milestone many parents may not realize.

“The true measure of any community is found in how it cares for its most vulnerable.”

On July 19, 2025, something incredible happened at the HUB for Community Innovation — thanks to YOU! 

1,414 book bags filled with supplies — a whopping $49,490 in community impact — were placed in the hands of children who are now ready to start school prepared and confident. That’s more than a number — that’s 1,414 bright futures launched! 

In a digital age dominated by keyboards and screens, it's easy to overlook the quiet strength of a pencil in a child’s hand. Yet handwriting remains one of the most powerful tools we have in building literacy—serving as both a mirror and a guide to the developing mind.

On May 27, RISE Augusta invited our incredible supporters to help us unlock a $25,000 matching gift challenge—and you rose to the occasion! In just two weeks, you helped raise $11,520 in new funding, bringing us one giant step closer to our goal.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, June 7th for our annual Book Bash! From face painting and games to great food, music, and—of course—free books, the day was filled with joy, laughter, and community spirit. We were thrilled to see so many families come out to support literacy and celebrate summer reading. Your presence helped make this event a memorable one!

Listen in as Laurie Cook of RISE Augusta speaks on the importance of Literacy and Support for students in Richmond County on The Signature Mike Show. A SPECIAL THANK YOU!!! to the Signature Mike Show for taking part in this amazing fundraising effort. We are so grateful for the Augusta Area Newcomer’s Club & The Signature Mike Show for the generous donation of $23,500!

“Third, fourth, and fifth grade students will learn cursive with the goal for them to be able to read and write in this style fluently.”
Watch the Full Interview>

What a tee-rific day! On Monday, May 19, 2025, the “Golf FORE Kids” Tournament at the beautiful West Lake Golf Club brought together champions for children—and the results were nothing short of inspiring. With every swing, putt, and high five, you helped RISE Augusta give struggling young readers the support they need to succeed in school and beyond.

When Aubree joined the RISE Augusta program in second grade, she was a quiet, determined learner facing big challenges. Word recognition and phonics didn’t come easily—but what she lacked in skill, she made up for in heart.

Did you know that 85% of youth in the juvenile justice system cannot read or read below grade level? Or that 70% of people living in poverty lack basic literacy skills—and worse, 74% of their children are already struggling to read?

This is not just a statistic. It’s a warning. A cycle that, without intervention, continues from one generation to the next.

But what if we could change that?

At RISE Augusta, we believe we can—and we do, every day. Because behind every number is a child with dreams. A child like Maria.

RISE Augusta is thrilled to announce that we have been named one of only ten recipients of the prestigious Georgia Reads Community Award by the Georgia Council on Literacy. This recognition celebrates our organization’s outstanding impact on youth literacy—and comes with a $25,000 grant to further support and expand our community-based literacy initiatives.

Jack Church talks with Laurie Cook, Executive Director for RISE Augusta. Cook talks about how RISE Augusta works with younger school age children to improve literacy skills through small group and one on one sessions inside local elementary schools. Richmond County has a poverty rate of 36% among children and she said studies show that students living in poverty struggle the most with reading skills and that is a major factor in the founding the RISE. Cook says if you can improve children's reading skills it, in most cases, translates to better chances of completing high school, going on to college, and living a life out of poverty.

Next time you're driving down Lake Forest Drive, take a moment to check out the two beautiful boxes right in front of Lake Forest Hills Elementary School. One is a Blessings Box, filled with canned goods and non-perishables for those in need. The other is RISE Augusta’s newest Little Library—part of our growing network of book boxes placed throughout the community to spark a love of reading.

Years ago, my wife Pam worked as a literacy tutor. She would come home and tell me stories—not just about reading lessons, but about lives being transformed. Her students didn’t just learn to read. They found confidence. They began to see a future. That experience changed them… and it changed us, too.

At RISE Augusta, our Volunteers & Tutors truly make an incredible impact into the lives of our local Richmond County Students. Jenny Landrum is one such tutor that was recently featured on a Channel 12 interview with Zayna Hailburton.

At RISE Augusta, we believe that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances. That belief is at the heart of our STRIVE Program, a transformative initiative dedicated to helping students overcome barriers and reach their full potential.