- Dollar General Celebrates Diversity with a $10,000 Donation to America SCORES Chicago -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In recognition of volunteers who do extraordinary things every day for their families and communities, Dollar General® (NYSE: DG) is partnering with Procter & Gamble to honor Chicago mother and literacy volunteer, Sabrina Williams, as its official “Every Day Hero” for February 2013 as it celebrates diversity in the communities it serves. Williams will be featured in a national marketing campaign, including a spotlight throughout February within TNT’s “Dramatic Difference” on-air vignettes featured on the television network which highlight individuals making a significant difference in their community.

“Dollar General is pleased to honor Sabrina and volunteers everywhere through the ‘Every Day Heroes’ program during our February focus on celebrating diversity,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. “Sabrina truly embodies the Dollar General mission of ‘Serving Others’ through her commitment to family and volunteerism, as well as her dedication to literacy education as a writing coach to Chicago’s youth.”

Sabrina is a driving force in the community of North Lawndale, on the west side of Chicago. In addition to raising her own four children in the neighborhood she grew up in, she also became a valued community leader and volunteer. She was Chair of the Parent Committee at her children’s elementary school, where all four children became involved in America SCORES Chicago’s after-school literacy program. After her children went on to high school, Sabrina herself got involved with America SCORES as a writing coach for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade boys. She is actively involved in her church, as well as a community women's shelter. After her husband's sudden passing five years ago, Sabrina remained strong for her children and active in the community.

“Being a volunteer, I get back as much as I give,” Williams said. “I’ve watched children in my community, including my own, build confidence and grow through their involvement in America SCORES, so I’m glad to do my part and help these kids get the skills they need to succeed in life.”

Dollar General has a strong commitment to schools, after-school programs and other literacy programs around the nation through its Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The foundation supports programs that help others improve their lives through literacy and education.

“It may sound simple, but Sabrina cares,” Vasos said. “She cares about her students and parents in the community, whether she knows them personally or not. She always takes the time to listen to someone who is going through a hard time and looking for support or advice. She is a pillar of strength for anyone lucky enough to know her.”

In honor of Sabrina Williams and literacy volunteers everywhere, Dollar General is making a $10,000 donation to America SCORES to help the organization fulfill its mission of inspiring urban youth to lead healthy lives, to be engaged students and to have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.

About Dollar General Corporation

For over 70 years, Dollar General Corporation delivers value to shoppers by helping them Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations. With 10,000 stores in 40 states, Dollar General has more retail locations than any retailer in America. In addition to high quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and more. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.  

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.6 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 75 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About America SCORES Chicago

America SCORES Chicago is an affiliate of America SCORES, an award-winning national youth development program that seeks to help urban students Write, Play and Achieve. America SCORES Chicago uses a blend of poetry, soccer, and service learning programming to provide free after school programming to public school students in Chicago’s west side communities. For more information visit www.americascoreschicago.org.   

This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing further details about the organization, products and services introduced above. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://smp.businesswire.com/pages/dollar-general-honors-every-day-heroes-february-0  

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130124005138/en/

Video: Sabrina Williams embodies the Dollar General mission of "Serving Others" through commitment to family and volunteerism.

Audio: What makes an Every Day Hero? Listen in on an audio news release and hear Chicago-volunteer Sabrina Williams in her own words.