The Molina Foundation and Virginia 4-H Partnership Another donation in the books! This past August, The Molina Foundation and the Brunswick County 4-H donated a large collection of novels and other books to the James S. Russell Middle School in Lawrenceville, VA. Brunswick 4-H and The Molina Foundation were both recognized on the Virginia 4-H Facebook page for the generous donation. This is just another step in the philanthropic journey of Dr. Faustino Bernadett and his wife Martha, who have dedicated their lives to improving literacy in impoverished communities by providing access to books for children of all ages. Dr. Faustino Bernadett’s wife Martha Molina Bernadett, M.D., MBA is the President and CEO of The Molina Foundation. Dr. Bernadett understands the importance of literacy and education in overcoming health disparities. That’s why, together with her husband, she formed The Molina Foundation in August 2004. The Molina Foundation is a national nonprofit organization focused on reducing disparities in access to education and health. It stands to reason that the 4-H donation would be important to the Bernadetts. The Russell Middle School was pleased to receive such a large donation of novels from the Virginia Cooperative Extension. VCE/4H is the local community connection to the state's two land grant universities: Virginia Tech and Virginia State. 4H is a vital school partner, so this donation is just another example of collaboration with BCPS to help students succeed. Students will use the books to support the school’s goal of improving reading levels. The Molina Foundation and Virginia 4-H are both credited for bringing new books to children and families of Brunswick County during the back-to-school season. The Molina Foundation recently donated books to another organization this past summer. In July 2020, the Denver Public Schools Educational Technology & Library Services was awarded the Molina Foundation “Stories by the Truckload” book grant to provide books from Disney Publishing to Denver-area youth and families. More than 34,000 books were distributed to 30 schools, 27 community organizations and the Denver public library. The DPS Educational Technology & Library Services expressed its profound gratitude for the “Stories by the Truckload” book grant by The Molina Foundation. It took 10 working days to sort and distribute the book grant, with up to seven volunteers working per day. Any books that
remained at the end of the two-week period were donated to Denver Public Library to distribute to their children and youth patrons.
About 4-H 4-H is the youth development education program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, offering learning experiences where young people partner with adults and volunteers in a fellowship program. Through 4-H, young people participate in activities that emphasize the organization’s "learning by doing" philosophy of building strong, confident leaders. Young people in the 4-H community learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills that serve them throughout their lives, through school-based, after-school, and community clubs, as well as camps.
About The Molina Foundation Since its inception in 2004, The Molina Foundation has worked with more than 2,500 organizations and schools towards this end, donating over 7 million books and hosting workshops and programs for educators and families. This philanthropic organization works in collaboration with community-based organizations in at-risk communities, partnering with preschool programs, clinics, schools, family service organizations, churches, and other civic organizations. A special emphasis is placed on working with organizations making measurable impact in the lives of children and families. To learn more about The Molina Foundation and its many other book donations, click here. Check out the Virginia 4-H Facebook page to learn more about the generous donation provided by The Molina Foundation and the Brunswick County 4-H.