A Stringfellow Elementary student works on her reading skills with the help of a mentor during the first Park Pals event Oct. 13 at Bert Harsh Park, next to the Moultrie public library.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A grant from Dollar General Stores is helping the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System mentor first and second graders.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded more than $112,000 in grants across Georgia. The library system received $2,000.

The grant will fund the library’s Park Pals program, which will take place at the Bert Harsh Park next to the Moultrie Library each Wednesday afternoon from Oct. 13 through Nov. 17, according to Erin Honeycutt, the children’s librarian.  

“We are partnering with Stringfellow Elementary to provide 10 of their first and second grade students with teen literacy mentors,” Honeycutt said. “Each week the pairs will share snack time and various literacy activities, including a weekly StoryWalk in the park.  

“StoryWalk is an idea created by Anne Ferguson of Montpeiler, Vt., which involves mounting pages of a picture book onto signposts along an outdoor path to combine reading with outdoor activity,” Honeycutt said. “The program will culminate with a graduation ceremony, where each participant will receive a certificate of completion and a bag of gift books to keep.”

Dollar General grants aim to support youth literacy programs in the communities the chain of stores serves, according to a press release from the company. The grants awarded to 39 Georgia organizations are expected to positively impact the lives of more than 8,442 residents, the release said.