California Veterans Bring Joy and Literacy to Prairie Elementary Third Graders

California Veterans Bring Joy and Literacy to Prairie Elementary Third Graders

As part of their ongoing commitment to giving back, residents of the Veterans Home of California – Redding chose to support literacy by donating “A Student’s Dictionary” to all third grade students at Prairie Elementary School in Anderson, CA.

This effort was carried out through The Dictionary Project, a national nonprofit that has reached over 31 million third graders since its inception in 1992. The students were thrilled to receive their books, with many proudly sharing that it was the biggest book they had ever owned.

This heartfelt initiative shows how intergenerational acts of service can build stronger communities. By placing dictionaries into young hands, the veterans help inspire learning, vocabulary growth, and curiosity—ensuring their legacy of service extends to the next generation.