Fundraiser supports literacy nonprofit

Preorders are being accepted and will continue for the next week, through March 30, Acree said.

Each plant is being sold for $15. When two or more are purchased, the plants are $12.50 each, she said.

Plants can be hand-delivered locally, within Wayne County, to anyone at a cost of $20.

Literacy Connections will deliver bulk orders that include six or more plants in Wayne County. They can also be picked up at the nonprofit office, at 2001 E. Ash St., Acree said.

Pick-up and delivery is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 3 through April 5, she said.

The plants stand about 18 inches tall and have a foil pot cover, she said.

Lilies can also be donated to the Domestic Violence Program, Kitty Askins, the Community Soup Kitchen or first responders, she said.

Literacy Connections has 800 lilies available this year and sold close to 800 in 2022, she said.

“We encourage people to get their orders in early before they sell out,” Acree said.

Literacy Connections of Wayne County is a nonprofit literacy center that focuses on one-on-one tutoring to develop skills in reading, math, computer and personal finance for Wayne County adults, said Susie Martinez, Literary Connections center and graphics coordinator.

The purchase of the gift-ready potted lily plants helps to support literacy in Wayne County, Martinez said.

The nonprofit raised $11,000 last year from the fundraiser that went to support Literacy Connections programs, Acree said.

Funds received helped pay for programs, such as MedCast, a health literacy podcast series of conversations with medical professionals from a broad spectrum of health care services in the community, she said.

“The goal of our Lilies for Literacy fundraiser is to raise unencumbered funds that go directly into programming for our students,” she said. “Through projects like MedCast, we know that literacy is so much more than having the ability to read and write.

“It is having the ability to understand and engage with the community and resources which allow each of us to live a life of health and well-being.”

The mission of Literacy Connections is help all adults in Wayne County have the literacy skills needed to be successful in life, Acree said.

“We value the opportunity for all students to improve their employment situation, support their children’s development, and become contributing citizens of Wayne County through education,” she said.

For more information, Literacy Connections can be reached at 919-735-1990.