News
Read to Feed with the St Joe Community Foundation
THE ST. JOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS OVER $55K TO FOOD FOR THOUGHT OUTREACH THROUGH “READ TO FEED” PROGRAM
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL—The St. Joe Community Foundation (“Foundation”) is excited to
announce that in the third year of its “Read to Feed” program, Walton County elementary students raised
$55,111.50 for the local non-profit organization Food For Thought Outreach (“FFT”). The Foundation’s
Read to Feed initiative grants $0.25 to FFT for each Accelerated Reader (“AR”) test with a score of 80%
and above completed by Walton County School District elementary students. Food For Thought Outreach
will use the funds to support its programs, providing critical access to food to Walton County students in
need through its year-round services.
In the 2023-2024 school year, Walton County elementary students successfully scored above 80% on
220,445 AR tests to set $55,111 as the Foundation’s contribution to FFT, surpassing results from the
2022-2023 school year of 217,250 AR tests which provided $54,313 to the organization.
Representatives from the Foundation presented a check for the full amount to FFT at the regular meeting
of the Walton County School Board on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
“We are excited to see how the Walton County elementary students continue to accept the Read to Feed
challenge in order to support their friends and classmates,” said The St. Joe Community Foundation
Executive Director April Wilkes. “This program not only supports Food For Thought Outreach in their
mission, but it also simultaneously encourages reading and scholastic achievement. We are proud to be a
part of the program.”
Read the full release here: