MANSFIELD — The Altrusa Club of Mansfield has been awarded the Mamie L. Bass Service Award, the highest international honor for community service presented by Altrusa International.
The recognition was announced at the 2025 Altrusa International Convention in Québec, Canada.
The Mansfield Altrusa Foundation earned first place worldwide for its signature project, First Read to Succeed.
The program provides every first grader—and some second graders—in Richland County with a new book each month throughout the school year.
Altrusa of Mansfield partners with both public and private schools across Richland County, distributing approximately 170 books per month. By the end of the academic year, the program will have provided 8,568 books to students throughout the region.
As part of the initiative, Altrusa members visit first-grade classrooms monthly to read aloud and give each student a new book to take home. The goal is to foster a love of reading, build home libraries, and strengthen family literacy from an early age.
“It was an honor receiving the Mamie L. Bass International Award,” said Kelly Holder, program founder and Altrusa member. “The rewards our readers and students experience are incredible.
“Knowing we place a book in every first grader’s hands for seven months makes a lasting impact on literacy at such a crucial age,” Holder said
The Altrusa Club of Mansfield, part of District Five, has served the Richland County community for decades and will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026.