Dear Friends of Literacy,

Did you know June 30th is New Year’s Eve at Literacy Delaware? July 1st marks the beginning of a new year fiscally and in programming. We are thrilled to announce that we received support from the Longwood Foundation for the next two years to develop a classroom framework which will expand our ability to reach more adult literacy learners in the state. Working with Delaware Libraries, we will offer classes for foundational literacy skills and support the library’s open lab time with “Just in Time” literacy support. Thank you Longwood Foundation for supporting this exciting initiative!

Our bilingual Learner Coordinator Luz Darys Vidal has become an important part of the Literacy Delaware team. Her energy and outreach with current and potential learners give us an edge when working with Spanish speaking learners, the majority language group in our English language program. Thank you, Arsht-Cannon Fund, for supporting this staff position for yet a second year! You can read more about Luz’s work in this newsletter.

Thank Yous go out to the Crestlea Foundation and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for their financial support of our growing AmeriCorps program!

Finally, a very special thank you to YOU! Your dollars are so precious to us! Your donations allow us to “keep the lights on”, purchase materials, pay staff etc., all extremely critical to our work.

I predict a busy year as we develop new programs, and engage new partners, and resources. I look forward to what lies ahead, even the “bumps” in the road.

Happy New Year!

Cindy

2024 SCRABBLE ™ Fundraiser a SUCCESS!

After a hiatus of several years, we were thrilled to bring back Literacy Delaware’s annual team SCRABBLE ™ fundraising event! Attendees enjoyed an evening of fun and friendly competition and a delicious variety of hors d’oeuvres while raising over $5600 to help our adult literacy learners reach their goals and realize their potential. A HUGE thank you to all who attended and thank you to Christ Church Christiana Hundred for hosting us.

Congratulations to Our Learners at Las Americas ASPIRA Academy!

We are pleased to continue our partnership with Las Americas ASPIRA Academy where we offer classes for parents of children enrolled in the school. Learners attended an end of the year celebratory pot luck dinner where attendees received recognitions for their work throughout the year and were treated to a variety of delicious dishes.

Congratulations to all of this year’s Las Americas ASPIRA Academy learners and thank you to instructors Elizabeth Ryan, and AmeriCorps members Christina McDermott and Jen Marrero.

Update - Literacy Delaware Learner Coordinator Luz Vidal

We are thrilled to have Luz Darys Vidal on our team as Learner Coordinator. This position, supported by our partnership with the Arsht-Cannon Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation, helps us create a welcoming, supportive environment for learners and helps keep them engaged in their learning journey. With her many skills, Luz has exceeded expectations by serving as the primary contact for current and prospective learners, assisting with learner intake, conducting assessments, and facilitating tutor assignments. The language void which previously led to confusion, misinformation, and frustration among Spanish speaking learners has been reduced. With Luz onboard, we have seen improved services to and an increase in engagement of learners in the program, particularly Latino learners. The fact that Luz is a learner herself brings validity to the program.

“I am a person who loves to help all the time, and this opportunity allows me to offer my talent to help, because is not just matching learners and tutors, is offering something, a recommendation, concern in general.”

Luz serves as an accountability partner, motivator, and advocate for our learners. She listens to problems and needs, shares them with staff, and helps problem-solve. Her perspective as a learner has been instrumental in changes already made in services. Always willing to support the organization by attending community engagement events, Luz enthusiastically advocates for our program wherever she goes.

“I am most proud when getting a tutor for each of our learners, and when I reach out to learners again for feedback, I am so grateful when they say ‘I’m happy with my tutor thank you Luz’”.

Learner Updates!



Here are some updates about several of our wonderful learners whose stories we have featured in the past.

Maria, an ESL paraprofessional working with families in the Caesar Rodney school district, reports that in addition to Spanish and English, she is working on adding the Haitian Creole language to her repertoire to better assist those who speak Haitian Creole in her district. Way to go, Maria!  

Iris, working towards a counseling degree to help her expand the services she offers in the homeless shelter she operates, completed her spring semester Social Studies class, receiving an A. Fantastic work, Iris!

Learners Appreciate Their Tutors



As part of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we asked our learners to prepare some words of thanks for their tutors both to thank them as well as to practice their writing skills . Here is some of what they said.

The ABCs of Kidney Disease

Thanks to a grant from Quality Insights, we are thrilled to partner with them and Christiana Care to facilitate the ABCs of Kidney Disease, a health literacy program for patients and their caregivers. The program covered key topics such as understanding the diagnosis, navigating the transplant process, diet and nutrition, and managing medications. Participants had the chance to interact with field experts and get their questions answered during each session. Thank you to all who participated in making these sessions successful and to our AmeriCorps member, Fontella for facilitating this program.