2026 Presenting Sponsor Announced 🌟
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We are thrilled to announce Pisgah Investments Foundation as our 2026 Presenting Sponsor! Building on their generous support as Presenting Sponsors throughout 2025, Pisgah Investments Foundation continues to champion our mission to transform lives and communities through the power of literacy. We are so grateful for their leadership and support!
In an exciting development, Pisgah Investments Foundation is issuing a $30,000 matching gift challenge to inspire other local businesses and leaders to join them in supporting literacy. Corporate sponsorships and donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar. This means businesses can have double the impact in 2026! Contact Linda Murphey, Grants & Development Manager, if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity.
Thank you to Pisgah Investments Foundation!
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ESOL Students & Tutors Take Holiday Field Trips
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Can you say hot chocolate en espańol? How about galletas in English? ❄️
The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program teaches oral English, reading, and writing to adults who have immigrated to the U.S. from around the world. Students work one-on-one with the same tutor for two hours each week, developing language skills that help them succeed at work, school, and life.
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👋 Meet Anne: Our New Outreach & Communications Coordinator
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Please join us in welcoming Anne Vilen to our team at Literacy Together!
Anne has lived in Asheville for 25 years, working first as a middle school language arts teacher, elementary-school administrator, and as a writer for national education non-profits. Three years ago, Anne signed up to tutor Second Language Learners (ESOL) at Literacy Together. That experience, working with students from Colombia and Afghanistan, confirmed her belief that the ability to speak, read, write, and understand language effectively is the foundation of personal and professional success.
Anne looks forward to meeting community partners and sharing the stories of students and tutors that inspire our work. Look for her at future tutor meet-ups, tabling alongside other local nonprofits, or presenting to prospective volunteers.
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Consuelo's Fund: Creating Generational Change
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Literacy Together is grateful for support from Consuelo's Fund this year. Their mission to improve the well-being and educational development of single parents aligns perfectly with our work. In 2025, their funding supported single parents pursuing life-changing literacy skills.
Consuelo's Fund enables our staff and volunteers to provide flexible weekly tutoring sessions that meet the evolving needs of families. Many of our students work multiple low-wage jobs while managing childcare and transportation challenges. Support from Consuelo's Fund ensures we can offer flexible education opportunities to all students no matter their circumstances.
Amy's story shows this impact in action. After dropping out of high school, Amy worked in the service industry for many years. Motivated by her children, Amy connected with Literacy Together seeking support to earn her GED.
"By the end of my first phone call with Rebecca, I felt more hope and more encouragement than in the entire time I had set out to do this. For an entire year, my tutor Emily and I met at least once a week. It was hard emotionally to balance my kids, work, and tutoring, but I told myself if I just showed up each week, that would be enough.
The day I took my final GED math test, Emily sat outside the door waiting for me. When I saw the score, I dropped to my knees and cried. Next to having my children, getting my GED is the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done.
I saw that I could change something and I changed it. Now my kids can say: 'My mom was able to change everything about her life just by showing up.'"
Thank you to the Consuelo's Fund for supporting single parents in pursuit of their goals!
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Save the Date: Authors for Literacy 2026 🗓️
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Our 17th annual Authors for Literacy Fundraiser will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the A-B Tech Conference Center. Join us to hear powerful student stories, learn from a New York Times best-selling author (hint: you'll love her!), and discover the impact YOU can make on literacy in Buncombe County.
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Adult Literacy Student Brings Stairwell Magic ✨
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Dianne, one of our new Adult Literacy students, is a professional crafter. To spread good cheer and brighten the world around her, she made a beautiful holiday display for the office!
Bringing beauty to our world is her way of saying thank you to Literacy Together, and especially to her tutor, Linda. Dianne and Linda have only been working together a couple of months, but they've made incredible progress and truly enjoy each other's company. That’s a gift we all rejoice in!
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Give!Local with Malaprop's Bookstore
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- Donors who give $50-$99 through Give!Local will receive a $5 coupon for Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe
- Donors who give $100 and up through Give!Local will receive a $15 coupon for Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe
Coupons will be available for pickup at Malaprop's one week after donations are processed. They're redeemable for in-store purchases through the end of February and need to be used in one visit. Give local, support literacy, and treat yourself to a great book!
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Literacy Together is excited to partner with The Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation through a grant to expand our digital lending library. Many students in our ESOL programs depend on computers for their online classes. Support from The Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation helps make education accessible to more individuals in our community.
The Nora Roberts Foundation has partnered with Literacy Together this year to break the generational cycle of low literacy in our community. Our programs support learners of every age - from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to our Adult Literacy and ESOL programs. Thank you, Nora Roberts Foundation!
We are thrilled to announce we’ve been awarded a grant through CFWNC Human Services and Education. This partnership funds critical programming for our Youth Literacy, Adult Literacy, and ESOL programs, allowing our team to focus on the immediate and long-term needs of our students. Thank you CFWNC for your shared vision of a community where literacy is accessible and achievable by all!
We are pleased to announce a grant award from The Industrial Commons this year! This new partnership will allow our team to create opportunities for student civic engagement. By making sure that student voices are woven into our programs, decision-making, and messaging, we create a community where literacy becomes a tool for individual goals and pursuits.
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Literacy Together offices are CLOSED from December 24-January 1.
We will re-open on Friday, January 2. Have a safe and happy holiday!
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