Mercier Literacy Program receives $50K grant

Maggie Brooks

The non-profit Mercier Literacy Program will receive $50,000 from Monroe County for the continued expansion of its literacy program to help city school children learn to read, County Executive Maggie Brooks announced last week.

The award is a grant from the county’s Department of Human Services. Brooks presented a check to children from Rochester City School’s Nos. 9, 17 and 5 who are participating in the summer program at Rochester City School No. 8.

Mercier will partially match the grant by donating $25,000.

Last summer, the literacy program was held at Rochester City School No. 9 through the “Camp Read-a-Lot” initiative. This year’s county grant enabled the Mercier Literacy Program to include 70 children as part of its intensive reading program.