Imagine being in your office and unexpectedly getting a phone call offering you $1,000. That’s about the way Ulster BOCES Literacy program coordinator Hilda Flowers described the event, which brought her to Sam’s Club recently to accept a $1,000 check for the Adult Literacy programs she runs in Ulster County.
“It was completely unexpected and a terrific surprise!” said Flowers.
According to Kingston Sam’s Club general manager Rick Lallier, the gift was in celebration of Sam’s Club opening its 500th store nationwide.
“The company wanted to mark the event by giving each store in the country $1,000 to donate to any non-profit organization they wanted it to go to,” said Lallier. “So, Denise McKay, our membership supervisor, and Phil Halwick, our business manager, got together with the membership team and came up with ideas of where the money should go.”
Part of the larger Wal-Mart chain of discount stores, Sam’s Club built its Route 9W store in the Town of Ulster in 1997. Lallier explained that both the local store and the parent company have a long tradition of community support and involvement.
After deciding that supporting literacy in the local community was what they wanted to do with the funds, McKay and Halwick began to do research to discover which organization they felt would make the best use of the funds.
“We called a few places,” said McKay, “and asked a lot of questions before deciding to give it to the Ulster BOCES program.”
Flowers said she plans to use the money to enhance the quality of instruction for the 104 classes that the Literacy Program supports throughout the county. Last year, said Flowers, the programs reached 2,035 students who attended classes in pre-GED, GED, ESL, and basic adult literacy training.
“We don’t often have the opportunity to buy any “bells and whistles” in regard to classroom materials and supplies,” said Flowers. “This will allow teachers to buy some of the extra materials they would really like to be able to use for instruction.”
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