JENKS, Okla., Sept. 18, 2018 – Gateway Mortgage Group, a full-service mortgage company founded by Kevin Stitt, is teaming up with literacy nonprofit Reading Partners to provide tutoring for children across Tulsa. Each Gateway tutor will help more students develop the foundational reading skills needed to empower their learning in all other subjects in school.

Gateway employees were given the opportunity to sign up at a recent company event with Reading Partners’ staff. They will spend one hour a week with students at Clinton West Elementary to improve basic reading skills.

“Gateway is passionate about strengthening families,” said Michelle Choquette, chief human resources officer at Gateway. “By allowing our employees to tutor one hour a week for Reading Partners, we can make a difference in our community. We are committed to helping children learn to read and succeed in life.”

Reading Partners has positively impacted students’ reading scores since arriving in Tulsa in 2013. The one-on-one tutoring empowers students to succeed in reading by providing individualized attention to each student in the program.

“Today, only one in four Oklahoma fourth-graders is reading at a proficient level and 36 percent lack basic literacy skills,” said Justin Harlan, executive director for Reading Partners. “We are thankful for companies like Gateway that encourage their employees to be involved in communities, especially helping children learn to read. By partnering with parents, teachers, public schools and community leaders in Tulsa, Reading Partners is set to address Tulsa’s significant achievement gap.”

The volunteer efforts are part of the company’s “Gateway Gives Back” program, which will reinvest $275 million and thousands of volunteer hours in communities throughout Oklahoma over the next five years. The program will also provide mortgage financing in low-to-moderate-income communities.

“So many children are struggling to read at grade level,” said Beth Delancy, project manager at Gateway and Reading Partners tutor. “I want to do my part by volunteering for Reading Partners to help these children. I am proud to work for a company that allows us to donate our time and resources to help these children and support such a great organization and cause in our community.”

In the 2018-19 school year, Reading Partners aims to match 2,000 community volunteers with 1,600 struggling readers in Tulsa.

About Reading Partners

For 20 years, Reading Partners has empowered students to succeed in reading and in life by engaging community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring. Since its founding, the national nonprofit organization has mobilized nearly 55,000 community volunteers to provide proven, individualized literacy tutoring to more than 50,000 elementary school students in under-resourced schools across ten states and the District of Columbia. Visit readingpartners.org to learn more about our program impact, or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Gateway First Bank 

Gateway First Bank is a leading financial institution that provides banking and mortgage services for consumers and commercial customers. Headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, Gateway is a $1.9 billion asset sized bank with a strong mortgage operation.  Gateway is one of the largest banking and mortgage operations in the United States with six bank branches in Oklahoma, over 160 mortgage centers in 42 states, and almost 1,600 employees.  Learn more at www.GatewayFirst.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender (NMLS 7233)

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