April | VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER | 2025

April is Earth Month, a time to raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire collective action to protect our planet. We can all adopt sustainable practices that contribute to a healthier Earth for future generations. Here are some opportunities to participate locally.

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month!

We can’t say it enough — thank you for everything you do. Whether you’re helping a beginner English student figure out their computer glitches, tutoring students working toward their GED, or helping someone build job readiness skills, you are a vital part of our mission to provide accessible education to adults in our community.

This year, we owe you an extra big thank you. With our recent office move (yay for more space and fresh beginnings!), so many of you stepped up to help, from packing and organizing to settling into the new space. We truly could not have done it without you!

As we celebrate the impact of your service this month, we also want to invite you to our upcoming Fundraising Luncheon at the Mountaineers on April 24th. It’s our biggest event of the year, and offers a wonderful opportunity to connect, hear inspiring stories, and help us continue expanding our reach. Please consider joining us and spreading the word — your voice carries so much power in our community.

In community,

Liz Wurster

Communications Coordinator

At Literacy Source, our journey toward becoming an anti-racist organization includes an ongoing commitment to understanding and valuing the diverse cultural experiences of the communities we serve. As part of this work, we distinguish between cultural humility and cultural competency—two approaches that inform our engagement with students, volunteers, and each other. As the above video illustrates, cultural competency suggests a finite set of skills or knowledge that can be "mastered" to interact effectively across cultures. While important, this perspective can unintentionally reinforce a static or generalized view of culture rather than recognizing the uniqueness of each individual. Cultural humility, by contrast, acknowledges that cultural understanding is a lifelong process. It encourages us to approach every interaction with openness, a willingness to learn, and an awareness of the power dynamics that shape our assumptions. This shift is especially important in adult education, where learners bring rich, varied experiences that challenge any one-size-fits-all approach.

But how can we do this in our daily lives? Here are five recommendations:

1. Recognize that no culture is superior to another
2. Become comfortable with reflecting on and acknowledging mistakes you've made
3. Be honest when you're not sure about something
4. Learn about other cultures with the awareness that you'll never reach perfect understanding
5. Ask the people in your life if you can have open discussions and hold each other accountable during your learning journey

Our staff DEI committee continues to lead us in embedding cultural humility into all aspects of our work—from how we support each other internally to how we design and deliver our classes. Last year’s bi-monthly Intercambio training on cultural humility laid the groundwork for deeper reflection, and this year’s all-staff reading of The Four Pivots continues to foster shared dialogue. We also embed cultural humility into our volunteer Foundational Trainings, ensuring that volunteers understand the importance of listening first, questioning respectfully, and honoring each learner’s background. Nowhere is this more critical than in our conversation classes, where volunteers engage directly with students from many different countries and cultures. In this multicultural environment, asking questions in an inclusive and thoughtful way helps build trust, respect, and a true sense of belonging for everyone involved.

We are excited to announce a FREE community event to celebrate our diversity on May 17: The World Dance Party. There will be dance instruction, crafts, music, dinner, and more!

Bring a dish from your culture for the potluck.

When: Saturday, May 17, 5-8pm

Where: North Seattle Family Resource Center

12360 Lake City Way NE (our building)

We welcome all volunteers as guests and would also love to have you join us to celebrate the community with food and dance! We are looking for people to volunteer to teach a dance. Each dance instructor (or pair) will teach for around 20 minutes and be given a $50 stipend total. Please reach out to Sarab@literacysource.org to sign up.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Remember to Play! “The Words Game”

When I taught high school, sometimes one period would complete the content ten minutes faster than another. I’d often play a word game to fill the time and the energy levels always went up. I began throwing games in as breaks between high-focus activities to keep everyone alert – especially during morning classes in February!

Play can be more than an energy boost or a time filler. Here is an article that talks about how play can enhance learning: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/19/03/playing-learn

The first time I tried my favorite in-class game with my ESOL 4-5 class, students ended up staying twenty minutes after class to continue playing. We play once every couple of weeks in class and everyone is very involved...

Britt McCombs, ESOL Instructional Advisor

You can read the full teaching tip here.

Spring Volunteer Roundtable Discussion: Know Your Rights



Facilitated by: Cat Howell & Laura Kalmanson

When: Wednesday, May 7th, 5:30 – 6:30pm

Our Spring Roundtable Discussion will be on "Know Your Rights" - the why, how, and what around teaching, and informing our students on this important topic. Out staff are being trained on how to manage any situations that arise at the center and we would like to share this information with you. We also want to create a space where you can ask questions and get support on how to discuss this issue with students and in your communities. There is a lot of information and resources available and we are happy to share these with you.

Pre-Reading: Roundtable Discussion Pre-Reading

Join the meeting with this Zoom link. Everyone is welcome to come and participate in the discussion!

Join the Literacy Source Board of Directors! We are looking for more board members and we love to have previous volunteers serve with us.

Board of Directors Members support and enhance the mission of Literacy Source by participating in long-range planning, providing guidance on continuous service improvement, guaranteeing a stable financial base for the program, and interpreting the mission of Literacy Source in the wider community. Potential Board members usually join one of the Sub-Committees first and then may transfer to the Board. Board Committees include: Advocacy, Governance, Fundraising, and Finance.

If you're interested in finding out more please email Caroline.

As our cherished volunteers, we hope you’ll join us at Literacy Source’s Fundraising Luncheon-Writing the Next Chapter on April 24^th from 12-1 at the Mountaineers as we celebrate education and our community. 

Here’s what to look forward to at the luncheon:

• Returning as our M.C. is beloved radio personality Marina Rockinger.
• Inspiring words from Cat and Shira about what it means to write the next chapter — for Literacy Source and for our students.
• A powerful talk by Will Durden, Director of Basic Education for Adults at SBCTC, on the future of literacy and adult education.
• Moving student stories from Noe and James — who are transforming their lives through learning.



Register now if you haven’t already.

Whether you’re joining us in person or cheering us on from afar, you can be part of our effort to raise $150,000 to continue offering high-quality, accessible education to adults in our community. Give today

• Amie Hsu – Conversation Class Annika
• Samra- Conversation Class
• Brian Allen – ESOL Tutor
• Divy Venkatesan – ESOL Class Assistant
• Gui Zong – Computer Class Assistant
• Maria Romero – ESOL Tutor
• Neelam Saboo – Board Member
• Sarah Butler – Conversation Class

Literacy Source partnered with two individuals who became citizens in the past month: one from Eritrea and one from Ethiopia.

Congratulations!

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is coming up on Thursday, May 1st and One America is organizing a rally and march to support workers' rights. Literacy Source is organizing a group to go together, starting at the Northgate Light Rail station at 12:30pm. Please contact Shira Rosen if you are interested in joining the group.

12:00PM – 1:00PM: (optional) Community Fair

1:00PM – 2:00PM: Speaker Program

2:30PM/3:00PM: March

4:00PM – March ends  

Thanks to all those that came to our volunteer social Spring Literary Mixer! It was great to hear about the book titles people brought, meet each other in-person, and share food and drinks in our new space!

Check out some of our recommendations below.

Why Fish Don't Exist

Volunteer: Sarah Butler

Interior Chinatown

Volunteer: Cindy Riskin

Dreaming in Chinese

Staff: Darlene Lytle

Leadership in Turbulent Time

Volunteer: Karen Thompson

The Fox Wife

Volunteer: Hannah Sullivan

Martyr!

Volunteer: Amelia Stockdill

Songwriters in the Round ~ Zoser, Jack Knight, and Owen Thayer

Saturday, April 19, 6-10pm (Brother Barrel12535 Lake City Way Northeast, $15)

TnT Live Room and Stardate Records presents a grand evening of live acoustic music from some great talents hosted at Brother Barrel, one of Lake City's best kept secrets.

Lake City Grand Opening Celebration

Saturday, April 26, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (12325 Lake City Way NE, FREE)

Come celebrate Seattle Restored’s expansion into Lake City! Join us for an afternoon of art, shopping, and community featuring complimentary drinks, and tasty bites. Meet our new Seattle Restored Lake City participants and shop local art and goods!

Susan Lieu with Quynh Pham: The Manicurist's Daughter

Tuesday, April 29, Noon (The Wyncote NW Forum, 1119 8th Ave, $10-$35 sliding scale)

In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, join Town Hall Seattle to hear Vietnamese author Susan Lieu discuss her memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter. Susan will be in conversation with Executive Director of Friends of Little Saigon (FLS), Quynh Pham. Together, Susan and Quynh will discuss the impact of war with regards to trauma, memory, loss, and healing — as individuals and as a collective.

You may have already seen the work of Seattle author and performer Susan Lieu at Bumbershoot, Wing Luke Museum, or the Seattle Library. Her sold-out solo theatre performance in Seattle, 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother, describes the true story of her mother’s death due to medical malpractice. No matter where you’ve seen her name, you already know she’s passionate about asking questions and seeking a better future.

In her new memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter, Lieu asks questions about grief and body image through her family’s story. Refugees from the Vietnam War, Lieu’s family escaped to California in the 1980s. Upon arrival, her mother was their savvy, charismatic North Star, setting up two successful nail salons — until Lieu was eleven. That year, her mother died from a botched tummy tuck.

Our next New Volunteer Orientation (via Zoom) will be on May 7 at either 1pm or 7pm. 

Potential volunteers are invited to register online here. 

Miss any of our past volunteer newsletters? You can access archived newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources of our webpage.