Stories of Hope from RISE

Inspire the joy of reading. Create a lifetime of opportunity.

If you are reading this webpage– CONGRATULATIONS!  

70% of those among us living in poverty cannot...

Support RISE Augusta’s efforts to help Reading children struggling to read! Spark their imagination and increase their opportunity to be successful.  Reading proficiency is key to education and education is key to bright futures!  Together, we can change that dismal statistic in our community!

“If u new me u mit hep me.”

Some of the more critical skills needed to be successful in school start with reading competency, comprehension and the ability to write. 

What if I told you the sentence above was written this year by a 9 year old boy with no learning disabilities in one of our local schools?  This young man’s mother is incarcerated and he is now living with his grandmother whose only income is social security.  On top of the turmoil he has experienced within his immediate family, his days at school were also very difficult because he was so far behind his peers. As a result, he became a class clown, defiant, and acted as though he did not care about school.

That was at the beginning of this school year.  “Antonio” has made a huge turn around after entering the RISE Augusta Helping Hands program at his school.  In addition to receiving tutoring twice every week at school, he has a nice warm jacket and new shoes.  His grandmother has been connected to a local church pantry that helps her to stretch her food dollars.  Antonio is not reading on grade level yet, but his teacher reports that he has made tremendous progress and is doing much better in the classroom. He loves reading now and his RISE tutor keeps him supplied with books to keep and read.

Please financially support RISE Augusta to help us help the 653 children in our local program!  It is critical work .  Make a difference in the life of a child – give them the opportunity for a lifetime of success -- help kids learn to read!

Wrap Around Support

RISE, an organization dedicated to promoting literacy, goes above and beyond by providing "wrap-around" support to many of its students. Recently, one of our  tutors noticed bed bug sores on a student's body and discovered that the child's bed was infested.

The situation was made worse when the student pulled out a candy bar for a snack, revealing that it was the only food left in the kitchen cabinet.

Shocked and saddened, the RISE tutor reached out to the student's mother and learned that the family was struggling to make ends meet. Thanks to the generosity of a few people, the family's needs were met, and even some toys were provided for the children!

This holiday season, let's come together and support organizations like RISE who truly make a difference in the lives of those facing adversity.

*Names and Photos have been changed to protect the identity of the families we serve.