Foundation committed to advancing the First Lady of Literacy’s mission
HOUSTON – Friday, June 8 will have marked the 93rd birthday of Former First Lady Barbara Bush. In recognition of the First Lady of Literacy, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and its Co-Chairs, Neil and Maria Bush, are paying tribute to her and all she did to help countless people across the nation have a brighter future and a better life by learning how to read.
“My mother was an incredible woman and a fierce champion for the literacy cause,” said Neil Bush, Co-Chair, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. “She believed, ‘The American Dream is about equal opportunity for everyone who works hard. If we don’t give everyone the ability to simply read and write, then we aren’t given everyone and equal chance to succeed.’ We will continue to advance her indelible legacy through the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation with passion and persistence and strive to make Houston a model city for the rest of the country.”
A tireless advocate of volunteerism, Mrs. Bush helped countless charities and humanitarian causes throughout her years in public life, though her primary focus was family literacy. Recognized fondly as the First Lady of Literacy, she began championing the literacy cause while in the White House and she even played an integral role in advocating for the passage of the National Literacy Act of 1991. She continued to advocate for universal literacy for nearly three decades up until her passing in April 2018. Not only was Mrs. Bush a literacy advocate, but she was also an author. She wrote two children’s books, C. Fred’s Story and the best-selling Millie’s Book, as well as the best-selling Barbara Bush: A Memoir and Reflections: Life After the White House.
In 2013, Neil and Maria Bush formed the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation to deepen the awareness of and intensify services and support for the nation’s fourth largest city and the Bush’s hometown, Houston. The Houston Foundation was founded on the belief held by Mrs. Bush that, “If you help a person to read, then their opportunities in life will be endless.” The Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Houstonians through the power of literacy and the breaking of the intergenerational cycle of low literacy.
About the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, co-chaired by Neil and Maria Bush, was established as a charitable organization focused on improving the quality of life for Houston residents through the power of literacy. The Foundation advocates for literacy as a fundamental right of everyone and a foundational skill towards success in life. It is founded on the belief held by Barbara Bush, former First Lady, “If you help a person to read, then their opportunities in life will be endless.” In 2013, the Bush Family created the Houston-based foundation separate from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, a national foundation, in response to the need to deepen the awareness of and intensify services and support for the nation’s fourth largest and most diverse city – Houston. For more information, visit www.bushhoustonliteracy.org or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bushhoustonliteracy on Twitter @bushhoustonlit and on Instagram @bushhoustonlit.