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June 30 will be my last day as the Executive Director of Literacy Together as I retire after almost four years in the role. It has been an honor to serve an organization that lives up to its mission of transforming lives and communities through the power of literacy.
It takes time, patience, and tenacity to overcome the myriad of obstacles that stand in the way of learning a new language or achieving the goal of earning a GED. The synergy between our volunteer tutors and adult learners is inspirational. For elementary students struggling to keep up with their peers, working with an understanding adult or an energetic youth intern builds the confidence and skills to break through the fog towards a world of possibility. For families with children under five, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides free books to instill a love of reading from infancy to kindergarten. Literacy Together’s commitment to lifelong learning truly comes to fruition through our core programs.
I’ve been blessed to work alongside an amazing team of staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and board members---people who are passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to literacy. I’ll miss the excitement and the personal satisfaction of working together to make that happen.
The Transition Committee appointed by the Board worked diligently to select the right person to become the new Executive Director. Watch for that announcement in the next newsletter! I am excited about what they will bring to the organization and look forward to staying in touch.
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With gratitude,
Cindy Threlkeld
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As we near the close of our fiscal year, we want to extend enormous gratitude to all our donors, funders, and partners supporting Literacy Together! We could not do it without you, Buncombe County, Buncombe County Partnership for Children, City of Asheville, Community Foundation of WNC, Dogwood Health Trust, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Glass Foundation, North Carolina Community College System, ProLiteracy National Book Fund, Rotary Club of Asheville, Sisters of Mercy NC Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, and Trinity Episcopal Church!
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Thank you also to these amazing partners:
Corporate Partners:
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June is Pride month, and in this newsletter we support and honor our LGBTQIA+ students, tutors, staff members, community partners, and families.
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| Adult Literacy Program: David's story
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David is a beautiful, creative, driven, and rare person in this world that we are grateful to know through our GED tutoring program. In this interview, David shares his experience with ADHD and dyslexia, two commonly intertwined learning disabilities/differences. While ADHD and dyslexia have been significant obstacles in David's education, they have also been the source of his uniqueness and artistry, which he expresses through drag. You can find him performing as Ophelia Love at O. Henry's, Asheville Beauty Academy, Miss Gay Latina, and other drag shows in the Asheville area.
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David's essay explores the role that art, performance, beauty, passion, and PRIDE have played in his life. He chose to write this essay with spellcheck off and completely unedited so the audience can get a small glimpse into how language works in the mind of a dyslexic person. "Ophelia Ballet" is a complicated, liberated work of art -- just like David himself. It begins:
"I wish that you could see the ballai that in my mind. Each day we all straggle with something. I have learned new ways to adapet to these curstamances. To give you some background this is how I interpret my mind through music dance and performing. My bally is about me reaching for my dreams as a female inpersonater. Lets take a trip through my mind t let you see how beautiful I am."
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We are in love with Luca! 😍 Thank you to his mom for sharing this note with us!
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We have done it since Luca was born! Love it! ~
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Thanks to our fantastic volunteer Kelly for representing Literacy Together and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at the Summer Library Fest organized by Buncombe County Public Libraries. We got some registrations and are very happy to hear that everyone loved the Dum-Dums and Dolly's books! Thank you, Kelly!
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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children worldwide. We're mailing a free book monthly to over 5,100 registered children in Buncombe County.
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Our community is getting stronger every day!
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Thanks to our friends at the mobile bookstore Chapter Bookstore for helping us spread the word about our volunteer opportunities and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Follow them on Instagram so you can visit them!
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80 people have attended our online volunteer orientation meeting in 2023 so far. We've modified the format of our online orientation meeting to be more inclusive. So, everyone is welcome to join us, from community members, local business owners, and nonprofits willing to learn more about Literacy Together's work to prospective volunteer tutors. This is what one participant said after the orientation meeting:
I am really looking forward to working in the ESOL program. I lived in Germany for a while, but I speak German. I can't imagine being in a country needing services and unable to express my needs or understand what people who could provide those needs are saying.
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| Upcoming Online Orientation Meetings
Tuesday, July 11th, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 13th, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
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| Your generosity provides literacy services to our neighbors of every age.
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