Children and an adult sit on a blanket in the foreground, with a white tent and greenery in the background.

Check made out to: Needle Movers
Address to send check: 570 Summertree Ct. SE, Smyrna, GA 30126

Launching Our First Literacy LighthouseSupporting Fair Oaks Elementary School&nbsp; In September 2026, The Needle Mover Effect will launch its first Literacy Lighthouse &mdash; a community-rooted after-school literacy initiative designed to serve students at Fair Oaks Elementary School in Marietta, GA. The Literacy Lighthouse exists for one purpose:To ensure that children who are not yet reading at grade level receive the support, encouragement, and structured instruction they need to thrive. Why This Matters &mdash; At Fair Oaks Elementary SchoolFair Oaks Elementary serves a vibrant and resilient community, including a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students and many multilingual learners. Like many Title I schools, the faculty works tirelessly to support students who are navigating academic gaps while also carrying the weight of economic and social challenges. For many children at Fair Oaks, reading is not just another subject &mdash; it is the gateway to every subject. When students struggle to read fluently and comprehend grade-level texts by third grade, math word problems, science content, and social studies all become more difficult. But when they receive consistent, relational, skill-based literacy support, we see measurable growth in confidence, classroom engagement, and long-term academic trajectory. The Literacy Lighthouse exists to come alongside Fair Oaks &mdash; not to replace the incredible work already happening, but to reinforce it with targeted, structured, community-supported intervention. What Is the Literacy Lighthouse?The Literacy Lighthouse is a weekly after-school program that provides:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">📖 Structured phonics and reading comprehension instruction</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">📝 Small-group tutoring aligned with Georgia standards</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">💬 Vocabulary and fluency development</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">❤️ Consistent, caring adult mentors</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">🍎 Snacks and a safe, welcoming learning environment</li></ul>Students will receive research-informed literacy instruction through our RISE framework while building confidence, belonging, and a love for learning. Our VisionThe Lighthouse is more than tutoring.It is:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A bridge between school and community</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A place of belonging for students who may feel behind</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A training ground for volunteers who want to serve wisely</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A model for how churches can partner meaningfully with local schools</li></ul>Our prayer and goal is that this first Lighthouse will become a prototype &mdash; a replicable model that can expand to other schools in Smyrna and beyond. What Success Looks LikeBy the end of the first semester, we aim to see:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Measurable growth in reading fluency and comprehension</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Increased student confidence</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Strong relationships between families, volunteers, and the school</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A sustainable community-supported literacy model</li></ul>Join the LaunchLaunching in September 2026 requires community partnership &mdash; through prayer, volunteering, and financial support. Together, we can ensure that children at Fair Oaks Elementary are not defined by literacy gaps &mdash; but empowered with opportunity.

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip " fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you for your generous support of the Literacy Lighthouse. Because of your generosity, we are one step closer to launching a place where students can grow in confidence, strengthen their reading skills, and experience the power of a caring community gathered around them. In the Fair Oaks community, only about 29% of students are currently reading on grade level.&nbsp; Behind that statistic are real children&mdash;students who are curious, creative, and full of potential but who need a little extra support to unlock the joy and confidence that reading can bring. The Literacy Lighthouse exists to meet that need. Each week, students will gather with trained tutors and volunteers to read together, practice new skills, enjoy snacks and conversation, and experience the kind of encouragement that helps a child believe, &ldquo;I can do this.&rdquo; Your gift helps make all of this possible&mdash;providing books, curriculum, technology, a welcoming learning space, and the caring adults who will walk alongside these students. But more than that, your generosity is helping build something deeper than a tutoring program. You are helping create a community of belonging where students and families know they are seen, valued, and supported. Thank you for believing in this vision and for partnering with us to bring the first Literacy Lighthouse to life. We look forward to sharing stories of the students whose lives will be impacted because of your generosity. With gratitude,Deanna MasonFounder, The Needle Mover Effectneedlemovers.org P.S. If you&rsquo;d like to follow along with the journey of launching the Lighthouse, we&rsquo;ll be sharing updates and stories from the students and volunteers as the program gets underway.

Thank you for fundraising with us this year again! Here is more information.

Launching Our First Literacy LighthouseSupporting Fair Oaks Elementary School  In September 2026, The Needle Mover Effect will launch its first Literacy Lighthouse — a community-rooted after-school literacy initiative designed to serve students at Fair Oaks Elementary School in Marietta, GA. The Literacy Lighthouse exists for one purpose:To ensure that children who are not yet reading at grade level receive the support, encouragement, and structured instruction they need to thrive. Why This Matters — At Fair Oaks Elementary SchoolFair Oaks Elementary serves a vibrant and resilient community, including a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students and many multilingual learners. Like many Title I schools, the faculty works tirelessly to support students who are navigating academic gaps while also carrying the weight of economic and social challenges. For many children at Fair Oaks, reading is not just another subject — it is the gateway to every subject. When students struggle to read fluently and comprehend grade-level texts by third grade, math word problems, science content, and social studies all become more difficult. But when they receive consistent, relational, skill-based literacy support, we see measurable growth in confidence, classroom engagement, and long-term academic trajectory. The Literacy Lighthouse exists to come alongside Fair Oaks — not to replace the incredible work already happening, but to reinforce it with targeted, structured, community-supported intervention. What Is the Literacy Lighthouse?The Literacy Lighthouse is a weekly after-school program that provides:<ul><li>📖 Structured phonics and reading comprehension instruction</li><li>📝 Small-group tutoring aligned with Georgia standards</li><li>💬 Vocabulary and fluency development</li><li>❤️ Consistent, caring adult mentors</li><li>🍎 Snacks and a safe, welcoming learning environment</li></ul>Students will receive research-informed literacy instruction through our RISE framework while building confidence, belonging, and a love for learning. Our VisionThe Lighthouse is more than tutoring.It is:<ul><li>A bridge between school and community</li><li>A place of belonging for students who may feel behind</li><li>A training ground for volunteers who want to serve wisely</li><li>A model for how churches can partner meaningfully with local schools</li></ul>Our prayer and goal is that this first Lighthouse will become a prototype — a replicable model that can expand to other schools in Smyrna and beyond. What Success Looks LikeBy the end of the first semester, we aim to see:<ul><li>Measurable growth in reading fluency and comprehension</li><li>Increased student confidence</li><li>Strong relationships between families, volunteers, and the school</li><li>A sustainable community-supported literacy model</li></ul>Join the LaunchLaunching in September 2026 requires community partnership — through prayer, volunteering, and financial support. Together, we can ensure that children at Fair Oaks Elementary are not defined by literacy gaps — but empowered with opportunity.

The Needle Mover Effect

The Literacy Lighthouse

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