Dollar General : Celebrates Zanesville Distribution Center’s 20th Anniversary with $77,000 in Local School Surprise Donations

Company Marks Long-Standing, Positive Economic Impact as Muskingum County's Second Largest Employer and 2021 ACES Award Recipient for Community and Economic Success
Dollar General celebrated the 20^th anniversary of its Zanesville, Ohio distribution center in a BIG way today - donating approximately $77,000 to area schools. Reflective of the company's mission of Serving Others, Dollar General surprised three local Zanesville elementary school principals with $20,000 each to support ongoing literacy and education initiatives. The funds are in addition to the nearly $17,000 in school supplies to support students and teachers as they head back to the classroom for in-person learning. More than 1,600 students and 115 teachers will benefit from the donations at Zane Grey Elementary, John McIntire Elementary and National Road Elementary schools.

'Locally, teachers have been working hard to provide the best possible learning experience for their students. Many teachers spend money 'out of pocket' for their classroom supplies and the 'extras' needed to engage learners,' shared Cindy Lawyer, Community Literacy Liaison and Muskingum County Literacy Council Board Member. 'Students have been learning virtually at home, hybrid, and now many are back in the classroom four days a week. Dollar General's generous gift not only helps teachers and children with needed supplies, but aids families struggling financially by supporting their child's educational needs. We sincerely thank them for making a difference in our community!'

The Zanesville Distribution Center currently employs approximately 1,100 team members with nearly 10 percent of those having been employed with DG since the facility's opening in 2001. Today, Dollar General operates traditional distribution operations, as well as the recently added DG Fresh and DG Private Fleet functionalities in Zanesville.

In addition to today's contributions, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has invested more than $1.6 million in the Zanesville community to date. The Foundation has partnered with Zanesville City Schools, as well as programs in the community including ForeverDads, Mid-East Tech and Muskingum County Library. Together, the organizations continue to serve students of all ages through literacy programs that include mentoring and tutoring, adult education classes and afterschool enrichment. Additional partnerships include Reading is Fundamental, which provides free books three times a year to elementary students in the county, and with the Books for Ownership that empowers students to select a new, high-quality children's book to add to their home library. Today's $60,000 donation to the elementary schools is part of the Company's Reading Revolution program where awarded funds are intended to be used to improve literacy and education goals through the purchase of books, technology programs, computers and/or other educational supplies or resources.

'Our mission at Dollar General is Serving Others, and our employees love giving back to the community that we proudly call home,' said Brian Braglin, Dollar General's Zanesville Distribution Center Director. 'We have been fortunate to be able to support Zanesville through many initiatives including Relay for Life, being recognized as the top donating company in the county for more than five years straight, the Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity. We are proud to be a company that the Zanesville community knows they can call on for help.'

In 2020, DG's Zanesville Distribution Center also donated $10,000 to the Muskingum County Hunger Network, $5,000 to United Way, $2,000 to the Salvation Army and contributed product donations to local food pantries and the animal shelter.

Zanesville Chamber of Commerce President Dana Matz shared that Dollar General, who is the second largest employer in Muskingum County, demonstrates graciousness on both local and national levels through donations.

'Since discussions began on Dollar General locating in our community, they have been true to their word, and they are genuine in their actions. Dollar General has a significant impact on our community simply by the number of people they employ, as well as in how they improve the quality of life, not only of those families they employ but also other families in our community,' Matz said. 'Locally, they provide products that benefit schools and to those in need within the community. Nationally, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is very gracious in providing money to improve literacy in Zanesville and Muskingum County.'

Matz added that the Zanesville Distribution Center has received an ACES Award (Awards for Community and Economic Success) presented by the Chamber of Commerce and Muskingum Growth Partners five times, mostly recently in 2020 and 2021.

'During a school year when education has been disrupted and the needs are great, we are excited to further invest in efforts that will help enhance literacy in the community,' said Denine Torr, Dollar General's vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. 'We are thrilled to turn this special anniversary celebration into a way to give back to the Zanesville community. We hope the funds and supplies will help teachers and students have access to the resources and instruction they need to excel.'