Project Literacy to honor West Milford man

Chris Rosica’s business awarded corporation of the year Bergen County — Project Literacy of Bergen County will honor four corporations for their support of adult literacy. Among the four is Rosica Strategic Public Relations of Paramus which created a county-wide literacy Web site, www.project-literacy.org. Rosica Public Relations is owned by Chris Rosica, a resident of West Milford. The other recipients of the “corporations of the year” are: Verizon, for financial support of literacy programs throughout the state of New Jersey; Triangle Manufacturing of Upper Saddle River for providing on-site English as a Second Language classes for its employees; and Quest Diagnostics of Teterboro for providing books and materials for adult literacy students. “These companies, in a time of economic distress, have not only maintained but increased their support of programs which are making a difference in the lives of people who cannot read, write, or speak English,” said Scott Reddin, executive director of Project Literacy. “They understand the impact that illiteracy has upon American businesses which is estimated to be 40 billion dollars a year in mistakes, remedial help, and lost productivity. They also illustrate that when your heart is in the right place there are so many ways to give.” The awards will be given at the 21 Annual Adult Literacy Awards Ceremony of Bergen County on Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m. at the Hekemian Conference Center of Hackensack University Medical Center, 30 Prospect Ave., Hackensack, N.J. Keynote speaker will be Mark A. Bocchieri, Director of External Affairs for Verizon. Over 30 million Americans are functionally illiterate. This means that they cannot read beyond a fifth grade level. In New Jersey, half of the six million adults in the state have literacy problems—an estimated one of every four has difficulty in reading a bus schedule, totaling a bank deposit slip, or understanding the precautions on a medicine bottle. For more information please contact the Project Literacy offices at 201-489-7066.