“I reached a point where my life was falling apart. I realized it all came down to this secret.” These were the words of 28-year-old emerging reader George Jackson III at the Literacy Connects “The Power of One” Fundraising Event on November 15th.
Over 1,000 people attended the event and committed to helping people like Jackson by donating over $200,000 to the magnified literacy effort spearheaded by Literacy Connects. Bookmans generously sponsored the breakfast for the seventh year in a row. Literacy Connects also hosted a luncheon on the same day, sponsored by Nextrio and Pima Federal Credit Union.
The theme of the event, ‘The Power of One’, reflected the vision of Literacy Connects, the organization that recently merged five forward-thinking programs that span the full continuum of literacy services.
“From babies through adults we will directly help over 60,000 people become more literate, find their voice and move toward full participation in our community. And the ripple effect touches thousands more. As fabulous as that is, it is only a drop in the bucket given the need,” said Betty Stauffer, Executive Director of Literacy Connects.
Nearly 1 in 5 adults in Arizona is functionally illiterate. That is, they can’t read, write or speak English well enough to read instructions or fill out an application. At least half of all adults who are functionally illiterate live in poverty—and therefore, so do their children.
Children whose parents can read well are 5 to 6 times more likely to succeed in school. Without basic reading skills, children fall further and further behind in their learning in all subjects, until many feel so unsuccessful that they eventually drop out. In fact, Arizona has one of the highest drop-out rates in the nation.
“People in communities across the country are finally beginning to hear—and embrace this message; it’s not just about being poor, or being unhealthy, or not finding a job – it’s about not having the literacy skills to find the job that will help you get out of poverty, learning how to be healthy. And changing things doesn’t happen in isolation. It means seeing the big picture and working together, like Tucson has done with Literacy Connects,” said Peter Waite, Executive Vice President of ProLiteracy, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the cause of adult literacy and basic education programs in the United States.
“I knew I had to change, I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I started working with a tutor and I just read my first book two months ago,” stated Jackson, who then announced to the crowd that he will be father in December. “I know I’ll have the courage to read to my daughter now.” He received a standing ovation.
Literacy Connects has programs that:
- Provide pediatricians with books to give to parents at their well baby check-ups
- Train volunteers to coach reading elementary students
- Train volunteers to teach English and deliver top-notch instruction to adults who struggle to read, write, or do math.
- Get kids clamoring to write and help them discover their voices by having professional actors and musicians bring their stories to life
“The causes of low literacy are complex and cross many systems. At Literacy Connects we see our job as not only delivering programs but also acting as the connector and the driver of a literacy movement in Southern Arizona,” said Stauffer.
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