WASHINGTON, DC – AARP Experience Corps announced that it had received $20,000 in grant funding through The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Since its founding in 1948, the Cafritz Foundation has supported thousands of projects to improve the quality of life for residents of greater Washington, D.C.  This latest grant continues in that tradition.

AARP Experience Corps is a program that matches volunteers age 50 and over with students in kindergarten through third grade to help them improve their reading skills.  Pre and post tutoring standardized test data from 2102 - 2013 shows that 94 percent of children tutored by Experience Corps volunteers saw improvement in their reading and literacy skills. The Cafritz Foundation grant will help AARP Experience Corps expand its efforts into additional classrooms in the 2014-2015 school year.

“The Cafritz Foundation is very proud to support AARP Experience Corps.  Bringing a lifetime of knowledge and skills, the Corps members are an invaluable resource to our DC public and charter school students.” – Rose Ann Cleveland, Executive Director

“It’s very gratifying that a distinguished foundation like The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has seen fit to support us in our important work,” said DC Metro branch director Deborah Stiller.

Nationally, AARP Experience Corps reaches students in 22 US cities and engages more than 1,700 volunteers in the effort to improve the lives of tens of thousands of American children.

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About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org;AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

Contacts:

Deb Jaquith: 202-674-9250; djaquith@aarp.org