Today is the last day to donate items for the Ferst Foundation thrift sale planned for Saturday.

Clarence Morgan, director of the Effingham County Ferst Foundation, said anything except clothing will be accepted for the sale, but the organization will accept men’s and women’s suits.

Morgan said the Ferst Foundation is a childhood literacy program that provides books to children up to 5 years old. Children enrolled in the program receive one book a month for that time.

Morgan said the program was started in Tennessee and is now in 40 counties in Georgia.

“The first book is ‘The Little Engine That Could,’” Morgan said. “The last is ‘Kindergarten Here I Come.’”

Morgan said it costs $35 per year to provide books to one child.

He said the books are free to registered children, and anyone is allowed to register their children for the program.

Morgan said the program hopes to improve kindergarten readiness for children.

He said in 1999 in Morgan County there were only 40 percent of children prepared to enter kindergarten. In 2004, kindergarten readiness was up to 90 percent.

“That’s a trend we hope to see in Effingham,” Morgan said.

Morgan said 51 percent of low income households don’t have age appropriate books. He said the program is open to all children, and he would like to see all children in Effingham County receiving the books from the program.

Morgan said people ask what the catch is.

“There is no catch,” he said.

The organization will also be holding a May Day celebration May 3.

Registration forms can be picked up at the County Recreation Department.

For more information on the program contact Clarence Morgan at cmorgan@effinghamcounty.org or visit the Web site at http://ferstfoundation.org.