THE LITERACYWORKS CENTER IS CHANGING LIVES AND
THE NEED IS GREAT
SOME PROGRAMS PROVIDE JUST A BAND-AID, BUT THE CENTER CREATES REAL LIFELONG CHANGE
It's hard to write our traditional year-end grateful list with so many in our community struggling. However, we, the Literacyworks staff, are still very thankful for many things this year. Below we offer our Literacyworks list (in no particular order) of the things we are grateful for in 2020.
OUR LITERACYWORKS 2020 "TOP TEN LIST" STARTING WITH #10:
#10. Our Center participants: This 2020 Spring and Fall Semesters, 220 of our adult students received our Adult Literacy Awards to help them persist in school and progress on their educational goals. Needless to say, we are proud of all our students who have overcome considerable barriers to be the first in their families to attend college and persist in their educational goals.
We have collected comments from our students about the Center. Here are a few:
"I am sending my deep regards and many thanks for the motivation to return to school. Without this program and awards for individuals such as myself, I doubt that I would've ever returned to school. Thank you for the encouragement you've given me to help our future leaders find their voices. I am honored and cannot thank you enough for the help that you've given me in returning to school."
"Literacyworks has helped me both emotionally and economically. The support, regardless of age, and the diversity are some things I particularly value. I have not found another support system like this in my educational years."
"Thank you for helping me and giving me this opportunity to continue my educational goal. This really helps me and encourages me to keep going. As a first-generation Mexican-American student and a low-income family man, it is really difficult for my mother and me to survive in this world. This program has changed my life and has impacted it in many positive ways. I am blessed, and I promise I will not let you guys down. Thank You!"
"As a mother of five children, I would like to be a role model for them and show them that life is not easy, but they can make their dreams possible and their goals reachable by furthering their education. I have no words to express the gratitude I feel for this program. Thank you so much!"
"I thank God for having you in my life at the right time. I truly appreciate your help. Thank you because this helps and encourages me to push myself even more to make my dream of becoming a nurse come true. This opportunity shows that anything can be achieved if we work hard and that there are people like you who help us to achieve our goals. Thank you so much for helping students have brighter futures."
#9. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: Lynn continues to be our biggest supporter. She is our Literacyworks Center founder/partner and Honorary Board Chairperson.
#8. The Literacyworks Center accomplishments: 2021 will be the Center's 6th year of operation. Some of our Center's achievements to date:
• Enrolled students each semester at Santa Rosa Junior College, 90% being Latino.
• Provided $942,000 Adult Literacy Awards scholarships* to over 781 low-income, low-literacy students
• Achieved less than a 10% dropout rate each semester (90% retention), well under the 60% average dropout rate for community colleges for this at-risk population
• Increased acceptance by our students to certificate and associate programs and even four-year college programs. As of Spring 2020, our graduates have achieved 15 (AA/AS associated degrees), 13 transfers (to 4-year universities UC Berkeley, UCLA, Sonoma State, Sac State, among others), 60 certificates, and 52 GED completions.
*All Adult Literacy Awards scholarships come from a family foundation and go to benefit our students. No scholarship funding is used for program funding
#7. Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy Program: Literacyworks Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program works with low-literacy, low-income bilingual parents and children through a combination of access to resources in the home and the community and by training parents in the basic skills to encourage their children to become avid readers. The goal is to help our parents positively view their parenting role, have appropriate expectations of their children's achievements, prepare their children with the necessary skills to succeed in school, and establish and maintain positive relations with community resources, including libraries, schools, and community groups. This year, the lockdown prevented face-to-face workshops. We are preparing to give out bags of books and Zoom workshops this coming year. The Sonoma and Marin library branches are interested in offering the program in 2021.
#6. Literacyworks Board: We sincerely appreciate the support and wisdom of our Literacyworks Board: Elizabeth Howland, President, William Soper, Treasurer, and Gloria Cruz McCallister. Plus, thanks to our Honorary board members: Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Honorary Chairperson; Peter Coyote, actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator; and Greg Sarris, writer, academic, and Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
#5. Founding Friends of the Center, the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and Program Partners: Again in 2020, many people and organizations helped to make Literacyworks and the Center successful, including Santa Rosa Junior College, the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and our Center donors, both individuals and organizations, including Codding Foundation, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Marin Community Foundation, Community Foundation Sonoma County, KRCB, The W Foundation, Sobel Communications, Fishman Supply, Westamerica Bank, Arrow Benefits Group, and Schwab Charitable Giving.
#4. Santa Rosa Junior College: The Petaluma and Santa Rosa campus staff and administration have been very supportive of the Center with particular thanks to Dr. Frank Chong, President/Superintendent; Rachael Cutcher, Manager of Scholarship Programs; J Mullineaux, Executive Director Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation; Beatriz Camargo, HEP Program Coordinator, Enedina Vera, HEP recruiter; Dr. Jane Saldana-Talley, Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent; Dr. Matthew Long, Dean of Student Services; and Yesenia Rodarte-Hurtado, EOPS Counselor.
#3. Staff: Thanks to our talented Center staff: Chris Schultz and Rita Sorpranith.
#2. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources: We have translated and provided the community and other national literacy programs up-to-date Covid-19 information in plain language. This has helped our low literacy population understand the ever-changing information about remaining safe during this pandemic. The site contains update facts and resources about Employment, Financial Assistance, Food Security, Housing, Medical Health, Mental Health, and Activities for Kids and Families.
#1. YOU: We are incredibly grateful for all the Literacyworks supporters, both anonymous and public, and that includes you!
Literacyworks helps underprivileged and underrepresented adults secure better jobs, become better parents, and contribute more to their community. Thanks for all your support this year and next.
Paul Heavenridge
Executive Director
2020 YEAR-END CAMPAIGN
We've launched our 2020 Year-End Campaign. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to keep receiving the donor's scholarship funding by matching it with staff and operations funding. This will allow us to reach our goal of helping 110 motivated low-income low literacy adults get on our program each semester in 2020.
A WORD ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND OUR STUDENTS
Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when suffering during a disaster.
During this last fire, SRJC was closed for a week. Now our students have to adapt to attending classes completely through technology because of the pandemic. Many of our students are suffering a loss of income and housing. Our staff offer additional support services to ensure they stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.
We can't do it without your help. Will you make a gift?
To make your donation now, go to http://www.literacyworks.org/donate or contact Rita at rita@literacyworks.org to be mailed a remittance envelope.
Bonus: The CARES Act, which was signed into law this spring, included a "partial above the line deduction" for charitable contributions. This allows a $300 tax deduction per individual even if the taxpayer isn't itemizing charitable donations. (To qualify for the deduction, the donation must be made by check or credit card; unfortunately, volunteer hours or donated goods do not qualify).
