Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form<\/p>\n
Organization Name: Read to Succeed Asheville\/Buncombe
\nLegal Name (if Different):
\nAlso Known As: R2S
\nMailing Address: PO Box 18652
\nCity: Asheville
\nState: NC
\nPostal Code: 28814
\nMain Phone: (828) 747-2277
\nMain Fax:
\nOrganization Website: https:\/\/www.r2sasheville.org\/
\nEmployer ID Number: 27-2581580
\nOrganization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)<\/p>\n
Proposal Information<\/p>\n
Today’s Date: 1\/28\/2026
\nRequested Amount: $10,000.00<\/p>\n
Project Title: Community-Powered Literacy in WNC
\nProject Description:<\/p>\n
With support from the Hermanowski Foundation, Read to Succeed Asheville\/Buncombe (R2S) will expand access to high-quality books, deepen family engagement, and strengthen early literacy pathways so that more children early in their school journey can thrive academically and socially. R2S is a community-led literacy organization serving children ages 0\u20135, elementary students, and their families across Asheville and Buncombe County through culturally responsive, evidence-based programming.<\/p>\n
The need for early literacy intervention in our community is urgent. Only 65% of children in Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools enter kindergarten meeting state readiness benchmarks, and Black children face the greatest barriers to early reading success. These disparities emerge before kindergarten and, without early and intentional support, widen over time, limiting long-term educational opportunity and well-being.<\/p>\n
R2S addresses this need through a multi-tiered literacy approach rooted in classrooms, homes, and community spaces. In Pre-K and early elementary classrooms, trusted Storytime Specialists, respected Black elders and educators deliver weekly, play-based literacy instruction, including interactive dialogic read-alouds and small-group activities. These experiences build phonological awareness, vocabulary, and early comprehension while fostering confidence, joy, and a strong connection to reading. Children engage with books that reflect their identities, reinforcing a sense of belonging and motivation to learn.<\/p>\n
Beyond the classroom, R2S equips educators, volunteers, and caregivers with practical tools to support literacy development. Through professional learning, family workshops, culturally relevant book distributions, and community literacy events, R2S reinforces reading as a shared, joyful experience at home and throughout the community.<\/p>\n
Together, these strategies strengthen early literacy outcomes and help ensure children have the skills, confidence, and curiosity needed for long-term academic success. We would welcome the opportunity to submit a full proposal and explore alignment with the Hermanowski Foundation\u2019s commitment to improving the lives of children and families.<\/p>\n
Total Project Budget: $87,500<\/p>\n
Other Funding
\nSources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Individual contributions: $15,000 (Pending). In-kind contributions: $2,500 (Pending). Foundation Grants: $55,000 ($25,000 Committed). Government Grants: $15,000 (Pending).<\/p>\n
Project Duration: 1 year
\nGeographical Area Served: Asheville and Buncombe County
\nAge Group To Be Served: 0-5 years old<\/p>\n
Contact Information<\/p>\n
Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mrs.
\nContact First Name: Jessica
\nContact Last Name: McLean
\nContact Title: Co-Executive Director
\nContact Phone: (828) 747-2277
\nContact Email: jess.mclean@r2sasheville.org <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form Organization Name: Read to Succeed Asheville\/Buncombe Legal Name (if Different): Also Known As: R2S Mailing Address: PO Box 18652 City: Asheville State: NC Postal Code: 28814 Main Phone: (828) 747-2277 Main Fax: Organization Website: https:\/\/www.r2sasheville.org\/ Employer ID Number: 27-2581580 Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3) Proposal Information Today’s Date: 1\/28\/2026 Requested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8941,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8940\/revisions\/8941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hermanowskifoundation.org\/members\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}