As a nonprofit, Literacyworks is taking decisive action during this pandemic to support our students and our community. We are refocusing our mission to include providing plain-language information that gives adults, families, and children a foundation for healthy choices, lifelong learning, and achievement.
Literacyworks is an educational nonprofit organization created to increase accessibility and participation of underprivileged and underrepresented adults, families, and children to improve literacy, technology, and basic skills. Our goal is to collaboratively and comprehensively address families' literacy needs across a spectrum of basic needs essential to the quality of life: family literacy, health literacy, financial literacy, and workplace literacy. To address one literacy need outside the context of the others leaves families only partially served.
According to Seachange, a nonprofit support organization, organizations appear to fall into three broad categories: Hibernators, Responders, and Hybrids in responding to COVID-19.
Hibernators are entirely unable to operate during this crisis.
Responders have seen the demand for their programs go up because of COVID-19. At the same time, they face increased difficulty and cost in delivering these essential programs safely. The government's early action suggests that it will eventually get the required resources to responders, but timing is likely to be an issue. The government is aware—or should be made aware—that any large responder's failure will wreak havoc in the local community.
Hybrids offer programs that can be provided, to some degree, despite the COVID-19 crisis but which are not directly related to reducing its spread or mitigating its short-term impact. They face the most significant uncertainty with respect to how funders will view their importance during the crisis and its aftermath.
Literacyworks is making the case that we are in the Responders category. We have contacted each of our students to survey what their needs are during this pandemic and fires. In response, Literacyworks has developed a plain-language Covid-19 Resource page with topics including up-to-date SRJC alerts, Sonoma County Emergency information, unemployment applications, food security access, mental health, Covid-19 safety tips, financial assistance, and family activities.
We will continue to reach out to the broader low literacy community with emergency information written as plain-language and support our students in any way we can, including pursuing grants and other funding sources.
Our students are tough and persistent, desiring to reach their educational goals. This past Spring semester, out of 109 enrolled students, 100 completed the semester successfully despite having to finish all their courses online.
In these unusual and trying times, all of our students have been tested and asked to take on new ways of learning remotely, sometimes without sufficient technology or skills.
Jobs lost, rents due, and children to educate from home, all have created tremendous challenges. Yet the theme that continues to weave through Literacyworks students is one of resilience. They are determined to reach their goals through education and create more significant opportunities for their future.
Cristina has been in the Literacyworks Center program for over a year. She successfully transitioned to online learning in Spring when the pandemic ended in-person instruction at Santa Rosa Junior College.
During a recent conversation, she reported that she had received her high school equivalency certificate, which she was very proud of. Cristina is continuing to take ESL classes along with Health Science classes. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse. She works to support herself in an assisted living center caring for senior citizens. Cristina is a frontline worker and a hero to the people she serves. The Literacyworks staff is very proud of all they are doing to achieve their goals.
Oscar was successfully studying Auto Technology at the JC until the pandemic lockdown put an end to in-person, hands-on classes. This Fall, he will start taking general education classes remotely to meet his degree requirements. Oscar reported that he didn’t think he would ever take these difficult general education classes, but he is very excited to start. We wish Oscar well this semester and will be offering all the support we can.
Another of our students, Diego, joined the program last Spring. We met him in the context of an outreach effort in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa. Roseland has recently developed several extremely innovative public schools designed to better prepare young people for college. Diego is clearly engaged in his children’s lives and wants the best for them. We met him at an early morning parent orientation at the school where his children attend. Staff presented the Center program, he joined and is happy to be a part of our support effort. Despite the change to remote learning mid-semester, Diego completed his high school equivalency certificate and successfully took classes this Fall.
SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!
Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when it comes to suffering during a disaster. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, many of our students are suffering a loss of income and housing. Also, SRJC has been closed since the first of April when online classes began.
Our staff is offering additional support services to ensure our students stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.
Thank you for supporting our students with your donation during this difficult time. You are making a difference in their lives with your gift.
