Welcome to the May Edition of LVSC’s E-Newsletter 
Celebrating the people who make our vibrant community thrive.
LVSC History: Then and Now
Our organization was formed in 1981 by Alma C. Liotta, a retired school-teacher. Ms. Liotta's focus was to help adults learn to read through personalized instruction delivered by a trained volunteer tutor. At inception, we did not have paid staff and only served a small number of students.

Our world has changed significantly during the past 40 years, but much about LVSC remains the same. We continue offering the cornerstone Tutor Training program – expanded to teach English as a Second Language -- and have grown our services to include English Conversation Groups and U.S. Citizenship Preparation Classes. Today, we have a small staff and a large volunteer corps of 115 tutors serving 250 students. In the past year, all services have been offered virtually. 
 
Our programs have grown tremendously since our humble start, thanks to hundreds of volunteers who have shared their time tutoring, organizing, and guiding; the generous donors who have provided much-needed funding; and the innovative spirit of all involved. Whether you have volunteered, donated, attended an event, or spread the word about our services, you have helped open doors through literacy. Thank you.
Student Spotlight: Yorleny


Yorleny is a remarkable student and passionate volunteer. Working with LVSC has helped Yorleny learn English and become the person she always wanted to be.
Welcome to Our Newest Tutors
Welcome to eight new tutors from our Spring Tutor Training Workshop. They are working with students from Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Turkey, Honduras, and Algeria!
Virtual Tutors Report on Student Progress
  • M. has job interviews online so we practice connecting to virtual meetings.

  • We created a resume in preparation for a job interview.

  • We talked about the COVID vaccine, safety, importance, and dispelling inaccurate information.

  • My student S. and I are both interested in healthy eating and lifestyle so for the past month we have been exchanging tips, recipes and workout routines…it is a great way to practice her conversational skills.

  • O. is a cheerful, delightful student who is making very rapid progress, especially in her writing. She clearly enjoys learning!

  •  Meeting with F. has been such a great experience for me. I am learning something new about her culture and herself each time we meet.
Thoughts from a Tutor-Student Pair
Donna reflects on her tutoring experience.

My main goal has always been to Help Others. As a result of my exploring various opportunities, I found that LVSC was the perfect place to be trained to volunteer and achieve more of this goal on a one-on-one basis. Being part of LVSC allowed me to meet some amazing students and help them define their unique goals connected to literacy. Then together we create small clear goals and develop creative, customized sessions to help enhance their English skills and gain confidence enough to become valuable members of their communities. It gives me a great feeling of accomplishment as I see their growth while learning about other cultures also!

Go to LVSC's website to read about Donna's proudest LVSC moment (spoiler alert: she couldn’t pick just one), her favorite quote, and why she still enjoys being an LVSC tutor after 14 years.
Monica shares her experience learning English at LVSC.

I always think that people who you meet along the road it is for a purpose. That happened to me a few years ago. I had the opportunity to start at LVSC participating in a conversation group at Somerville Library. I remember that we were a multicultural group, we were enthusiastic, persistent and had a lot of eagerness to learn and/or reinforce our knowledge of English.
 
Later, I would get a tutor: Donna with whom I met just over two years ago. Throughout all this time, her help has been, and it is still invaluable. She has helped me discover that I enjoy writing short stories about different topics because it allows me to let my imagination fly. Donna encourages and supports me to continue improving my English. Her advice is always welcome, and I show that it is never too late to learn new things and take actions that make us feel good about ourselves.
 
Happy Anniversary LVSC, thanks for all you are doing for people of our community!
Board Member Spotlight: Yvonne, LVSC Board Secretary
Meet Yvonne and learn about her favorite book, where she wants to travel next, and what inspires her most about LVSC.
Innovating to Meet Community Need
LVSC’s Beginner ESL Class went virtual, and it has been a true team effort. The Bound Brook and Manville library branches provide student outreach. LVSC staff assess and enroll students. Volunteers teach the class. Pictured is a parking lot meeting with volunteer teachers Tammy Westmark and Susan Pristas, and LVSC’s Susan Engelstein. To teach vocabulary, teachers created large flashcards and PowerPoint presentations that students can easily see on the screen. Students are encouraged to participate by writing responses to questions on white boards to show on camera. Workbooks, homework and white boards are delivered to the library for student pick-up. As can be seen from the smiling faces, this Saturday morning class is going well.
Kathy England Receives Statewide Volunteer Excellence Award


Congratulations to tutor Kathy England who received a Volunteer Excellence Award at Literacy NJ’s 2021 virtual professional development conference. Kathy is a dedicated tutor, conversation group leader, and Student Outreach Committee mentor. She has been tutoring since 2010!
Thank You to Our Donors
Pictured in black and white is LVSC’s founder, Alma Liotta (left), at one of our first check presentations from the Gannett Foundation. Pictured in color is current executive director, Aimee Lam (center), at our most recent check presentation from Investors Foundation (also pictured, Antonella Celli and Steve Bohmert of Investors Bank). Community partners and donors have supported our longevity and we are grateful to all -- past and present.
Do You Like Our New Look?
In case you didn’t hear, LVSC is 40! We decided to get all dressed up for the big occasion with a brand-new website, created by Lucid Fox.

LVSC was the 2021 beneficiary of Lucid Fox's generous Community Impact Initiative. Through this initiative, Lucid Fox donates one new website per year to a qualifying nonprofit that makes a substantive impact in their local community. We are grateful for this generous donation and are thrilled with our new look. 
Make an Anniversary Donation
Your donation to our year-long celebration honors LVSC's 40-year history and helps to secure our future. All proceeds help LVSC train volunteer tutors, match students with tutors, and develop new programs.

Donations can be made as a one-time gift or as a monthly donation. You can also honor a special volunteer or student
with a tribute gift.
Thank You to Our Anniversary Donors*

Benefactor: The Luis and Maria DaSilva Charitable Fund
Partner: The Young Family
Champion: Allison & Patrick Caulfield
Patron: Aubrey Flanagan; Merrill Lynch - Bridgewater NJ
Advocate: Barbara Lawler; Warren Josephson & Jill Brenner in honor of tutor Kathy England; The Sokol Family
Supporter: Elizabeth Breedlove; Tracy Ho in honor of tutor Andrea Swykowski.; Nadezda Ivanov; Rosa Merlo; Maureen & Jim Wilson
*As of May 1, 2021