The United Way of Central Kansas is teaming up with the City of Great Bend to host our annual Community Hot Dog Feed in conjunction with the Movie in the Square on Thursday, July 16.  The event was rescheduled after it was postponed during June Jaunt due to inclement weather.
UWCK Board Members and staff will be out serving hot dogs, chips, and drinks from 6-8 p.m. and the movie will start at 9:15 p.m.  This month’s movie will “ E.T.” and the evening should be a great time for the whole family.  This meal is provided for a free will donation with all proceeds going to help support Literacy Kits for pre-K students in Great Bend, Ellinwood, and Larned.  
These kits are designed to help prepare children for Kindergarten by giving them the tools they need to start reading and writing before they even begin school.  We will be distributing these kits in the spring of 2016 during the Kindergarten Round-Up in each of the school districts.  The kits will include worksheets, flashcards, reading lists, and a book, which will all be put together in an adorable drawstring bag.  
“United Way is excited to bring Literacy Kits to our community,” said UWCK Director Julie Bugner-Smith.  “We feel that reading and writing at a young age is integral to success in later years for these students.  By providing these for the children in the communities we serve we hope to encourage early childhood literacy”.  
A large part of this project is making the flashcards for the students and United Way always welcomes volunteers who would be willing to come in and help get the flashcards put together.