The Literacy Letter
LVSC's E-Newsletter: Year-End Edition
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Happy Holidays from the LVSC Board & Staff | |
Wishing you and yours peace, joy and good health this holiday season and in the new year. We're grateful to you all - tutors, students, volunteers, partners and supporters - for another good year at LVSC.
In December, staff joined the LVSC board for our first in-person board meeting since February 2020. It was so special to celebrate together. For the past two and a half years monthly board meetings have been on Zoom. The convenience and efficiency is terrific, but nothing replaces a face-to-face conversation. (Not pictured from the board, Snehal Batra, Aubrey Flanagan, & Mary Riccardi.)
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We now have 148 trained volunteers providing free English tutoring to 194 students! Our newest tutors are teaching English to students from 14 different countries - wow! | |
They're at it again -- volunteers Susan and Tammy have been teaching beginner ESL on Saturday mornings. Don’t you love the happy faces? | |
LVSC services are focused on helping students learn practical English skills to achieve life goals. Congratulations to 25 LVSC students who achieved the very important goal of becoming a U.S. citizen in 2022.
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Family Reading Nights are Back
In November we had fun sharing Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet. We learned about the Macy's Day Parade puppeteer and made our own puppet parade. Thank you to LVSC tutor Ms. Carol for reading and entertaining us with songs and stories.
Family Reading Nights are a partnership between LVSC and Middle Earth. Books generously donated by the Cummins family.
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What a great evening we had sharing America's favorite pastime.
LVSC tutors, students, board members, staff and families enjoyed watching the Somerset Patriots "play ball" from the comfort of the TDBank Ballpark Community Box. Thank you to the Somerset County Commissioners for making the box available to local nonprofits.
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We had a busy day at Somerset County's 4th Annual Diversity Festival. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn more about LVSC and to learn what it takes to become a new U.S. citizen. Happy to see many of our volunteers, students, and partners, and pleased to meet so many interested community members. | |
The 6th Annual Golf Fore Literacy event was a huge success. We are so grateful to our golfers, dinner guests, sponsors, donors, & volunteers for a truly great day in support of LVSC. A special shout out goes to LVSC Board Treasurer & Golf Fore Literacy Chair, Tho Ngo, who started this summer fundraiser in 2017. Thank you, all!
Missed this one? Please join us on July 17, 2023 when Golf Fore Literacy returns, this time with a new package for beginner golfers.
Click here to learn about our Student Speaker, Kim.
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We celebrated Perfect Pairs at the 9th Annual Fall Soiree. Thank you to the 75 volunteers, partners and supporters who joined us! It was great fun celebrating Perfect Pairs:
- Literacy & Library
- Tutors & Students
- Language & Culture
- Listening & Speaking
- Reading & Writing, and so many more...
We enjoyed a wine bar, dinner & dessert, live music, a craft station, and fun pair/pear games -- all while exploring the brand-new Montgomery library branch. See more pictures from the Fall Soiree here.
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NJ General Assembly Presents Resolution to LVSC | |
Thank you to Assemblyman Roy Freiman, NJ District 16, for presenting LVSC with a New Jersey General Assembly resolution.
Said Assemblyman Freiman, "An organization near and dear to my heart, LVSC assists individuals with overcoming language hurdles, encouraging them to participate in their local community. This resolution congratulates LVSC on their commitment to education, dedication to volunteerism, and improving the quality of life for their neighbors. Congratulations!"
The resolution was presented in a beautiful frame and is displayed prominently in the LVSC office. Here is an excerpt from the resolution: “The people of the State of New Jersey are genuinely indebted to hardworking and inspiring individuals, personified by the enthusiastic Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County, whose time and energies are dedicated to improving the quality of life for their neighbors.”
LVSC is proud and honored to accept this recognition on behalf of our amazing volunteer tutors, dedicated board of trustees, and hard-working staff. We encourage all who visit the LVSC office to enjoy the many accolades included in the resolution. They are ours to share.
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Congratulations to Published Student Writers |
Five LVSC students were published in Insight 2022, the magazine of the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning (NJALL)!
A big congratulations to:
- Glorys Bueno
- Li Dezheng
- Nadezda Ivanov
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Monica Oblites (1st Place Non-Fiction)
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Andrea Serrano (3rd Place Poetry)
Click here to read Insight 2022.
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Matching Gift Campaign - $10,000 Challenge | |
Did you know? Members of the LVSC board will be matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000, through the end of the year! This generous match shows their commitment to LVSC's mission and doubles the impact of your gift.
Your donation helps LVSC train new tutors so we can serve more students! Your donation helps us create new programs and provide tutors with ongoing support.
For those who have already donated this year, thank you. For those who would still like to give, thank you also! There are three ways to participate in the 2022 matching gift challenge.
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You can help sustain LVSC's everyday operations by pledging a monthly donation. It’s easy and secure, and can be done via credit card through our website. | | |
Gifts of long-term appreciated securities are a great way to support LVSC. And, you may be entitled to take a charitable deduction while avoiding capital gains tax. | | |
Or, please consider a one-time donation to support our programs. Every donation helps! | | |
Save the Date and Please Join Us | |
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Winter Tutor Training Class: 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17/23
Tutor Reception & Ribbon Cutting: 3/2/23
Spring Tutor Training Class: 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9/23
Annual Meeting & Recognition Event: 6/7/23
Golf Fore Literacy: 7/17/23
Fall Soiree: 11/3/23
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