Local non profit Organization for Guatemalan Orphans (OGO) and South Grade Elementary school will hold their annual “Literacy Walk” this Saturday October 25th, with a library tour, free book giveaway and library card to participating children and their families. The banner parade will begin at 8:00am at the school located at 716 South K Street, Lake Worth, FL, 33460. The community is invited to attend and all ages are welcome.
This is the second year that OGO and South Grade Elementary school have partnered to provide this important literacy event to the community, with all of the books provided by a donation from OGO. Additionally, OGO provides free sporting equipment to the school’s physical education program which has seen many budget cuts recently, creating the need for outside donations.
“Originally, we started OGO with the focus of helping children and families in Guatemala. However, in 2001, the need here became so tremendous that we started providing lifesaving donations for farm worker families,” says Brenda Chalas, President of OGO.
Lake Worth’s South Grade Elementary school is a Title I school where 97% of the students enrolled qualify for free and reduced lunch. The combined economic disadvantages of the families, little to no books available at home and severe language barriers make it difficult for schoolchildren to effectively learn to read. Recent budget cuts created an urgent need for the school’s administration to search for outside assistance. In response, OGO began providing educational and sporting equipment donations to the school in 2001.
“In the past eight years, funding per student for library materials has decreased by over 13% while the cost of library books has risen 33%,” said Sarah McKnight, Library Media Specialist at South Grade Elementary school. “This combined loss of purchasing power per student has left public schools receiving the equivalent of half of the state contribution to our school’s library in 2008 as compared to 2001.” continued McKnight.
The Organization for Guatemalan Orphans (OGO), a 501 c 3 non-profit charity, has been dedicated to improving the lives of disabled, orphaned children and indigent families in Guatemala since 1989. OGO provides wheelchairs, medical equipment, urgent health care, shelter, clothing and educational materials to schoolchildren and their families. In Palm Beach county, OGO has provided needed books and educational materials to schoolchildren since 2001. Community donations of books, educational and sports supplies and Visit OGO on the web at www.ogointernational.org, via phone at (561) 362-7344 or by email at brendachalas@
