The Castlegar News and the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy are teaming up once again to bring Reach a Reader to the people and businesses of Castlegar.

If you are reading this paper, then you  have benefited from literacy education.

Perhaps you learned to read in grade 1 or 2, or maybe you got around to it later in life. The fact is, there are many people around who, for whatever reason, can’t read. That’s why it’s crucial to have strong literacy programs in our community: so people of all ages can not only learn to read, but to improve their reading and grammar.

The Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) is a Kootenay-based organization that provides literacy programs for people of all ages. Whether it’s the Mother Goose program at the library for toddlers and pre-schoolers, or computer classes to help seniors navigate the world wide web, or tutoring for ESL students, CBAL offers a wide range of excellent programs.

To help raise awareness and some needed cash for the various programs, next week staff from both the Castlegar News and CBAL will be going to various businesses around Castlegar and accepting donations for the paper and giving out information on literacy programs.

So be sure to drop by one of the locations (see page one) and say hi and pick up a paper and donate to a very worthy cause.