A note about this story: The Scripps Howard Foundation supports philanthropic causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company, MTN's parent company.
The Scripps Howard Foundation donated $10,000 in total to Big Brothers Big Sisters and Helena Education Foundation, all in the name of children literacy.
“This $5000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana really changes lives. It's going to really help us make new matches in our program and match them with a Big Brother or a Big Sister. And it's going to change the lives of those kids forever,” said Jesse Mahugh, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana’s Executive Director.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana says being matched with a big creates a path for kids to become more successful in school.
“After one year of being matched with a big about 85% of the kids are showing improved classroom behavior and 82% show improved academic progress in schools. So and that, that's you know reading scores, that's math scores it's everything across the board and a lot of that just has to do with having a stable adult in their life,” said Kelly McDermott, BBBS of Central Montana’s Director of Development.
Helena Education Foundation Executive Director Lisa Cordingley says she found out about the grant during the holidays.
“ I found out that the application was being made the day before Thanksgiving and so it gave me something extra to be thankful for,” said Cordingley.
The $5,000 will go towards one of the foundation's grants that promotes childhood literacy.
“It is most likely going to go toward great ideas and spark grants that support literacy and those span the grades from K through 12,” said Cordingley.
