Dear Friends of Literacy,

The Holidays are upon us! It has been quite the busy fall as we onboarded our eleven AmeriCorps members and started new classes and programs. I had the privilege of presenting at the ProLiteracy and National Center for Families learning conferences. It was wonderful to catch up with colleagues across the country and learn new and innovative ideas for our program.

As we turn the page to a new year and new government administrations, I want to stress that we at Literacy Delaware will continue to provide services to all. The 14th Amendment provides for free public education for all children living in the US. Although there is no guidance for adult literacy education, we apply that same Amendment to adult learners.

Low foundational literacy skills continue to spread its’ tentacles far and wide no matter the age, sex, education, occupation, ethnicity, race, or political party. Amid the changes we will see, Literacy Delaware will continue to be a stalwart beacon of opportunity, hope, and safety for all learners.

As we close the door on 2024, I would like to say thank you for another incredible year. Your support, financially and otherwise, and commitment to our mission keeps us moving forward, scaling new heights. It is an an honor to be entrusted with your faith and belief in what we do and the impact we make. I am ever grateful and appreciative to be a part of OUR narrative - changing lives one word at a time.

All the best to you and your family throughout this holiday season and peace and happiness in the new year!

Very Sincerely Yours,

Cindy

P.S. Mark your calendars NOW and plan to join us on Friday March 28th Christ Church Christiana Hundred for our 2025 team SCRABBLE fundraising event, SCRABBLE Along the Brandywine!



Welcome New Board of Directors Member - Lynda Pusey

Lynda has been working in the non-profit space for most of her adult life as a volunteer and after college as an employee. She brings experience in fund development and social work to the table. She also has experience teaching elementary school art. Lynda was recently an AmeriCorps member last year working with learners in Sussex County. She is an active member of CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team) in her community and is on the Sussex County planning team. Lynda is passionate about ensuring everyone can communicate with those around them through spoken and written word.

Congratulations to the 2024 Janet Neville Loper and Edward Loper, Sr. Meritorious Service Award winner, Greg O’Neill



Greg is currently serving as Chairman of the Literacy Delaware Board of Directors, after having served on the organization’s transformative strategic planning team and then as Vice Board Chair. He is passionate about Literacy Delaware and our mission and is a strong advocate for our work. As Director of Patient & Family Health Education at ChristianaCare, Greg particularly recognizes how our work ties to health literacy. We are thrilled to have recognized Greg with this year's Loper Award.

The Janet Neville Loper and Edward Loper Sr. Meritorious Service Award was established in 2008 and is given annually to a volunteer who exemplifies the Loper’s involvement with and financial support of Literacy Delaware. Janet Neville Loper was a member of what was then Literacy Volunteers of America Wilmington Library Affiliate’s initial volunteer tutor training class in 1983. In addition to tutoring, Janet also helped with clerical duties in the office for many years. Her husband Edward Loper Sr. donated signed prints of his artwork for prizes at fundraising events.

Citizen Learners Share Their Experience Voting

Networking Night at the Library

Literacy Delaware cohosted a networking happy hour event with Spur Impact to honor Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Attendees met at the Wilmington Library to connect and learn more about adult literacy in the state. Participants also helped assemble 50 literacy kits which will be distributed to new tutors upon completion of tutor training. We appreciated the support of Spur Impact as well as all those who attended.

Future Corporate Attorney Feride



Feride has been interested in the law since she was a child in Turkey, and as an adult, realized her dream of becoming a lawyer there. When she came to the United States, she wanted to follow her passion by pursuing a legal career in Delaware.

At first, Feride struggled to make sure things would work out as she began her journey here. “My English was terrible,” she lamented. Feride began taking academic English classes at UD to bolster her chances of getting into law school. But even after the English classes, Feride didn’t feel comfortable that her speaking skills were sufficient to handle the challenges of attending law school in English.

Looking for a way to improve her speaking skills, she learned about Literacy Delaware from a teacher and began a conversation group taught by AmeriCorps Member Fontella. After just 6 months in conversation group, Feride was accepted into Widener Law School! Says Feride of Fontella, “she was really helpful in me improving my English. She inspired me to continue my academic journey and gain confidence”.

Having recently begun her studies, Feride hopes to complete law school within about a year. “The difficulty is that Turkish law and US law are very different. I feel like I’m becoming more familiar with legal terms in the US and I’m making it a practice to study them. I want to learn and absorb everything, not just pass the exam. I want to understand the differences between the law here and in Turkey. I had wanted to become a criminal lawyer in Turkey but now I want to become a corporate attorney because Delaware is the center of corporate law.”

As she reflects on her progress, Feride observes, “I feel my English is better, though sometimes I still feel embarrassed. I feel I still need to build my confidence but I feel like I’m not alone. Other people (in the conversation group) are also trying to improve their English. Our instructor always chose a topic that we talk about. They also want to see what vocabulary we don’t know and talk about it. This is important. I love Literacy Delaware’s way of teaching English” asserts Feride. “Sometimes I still feel embarrassed I feel I still need to build my confidence.”

Data Analyst and Future Entrepreneur Aly



Aly began working with his tutor to improve his English when he moved to Delaware from Egypt about 5 years ago. His motivation to improve his English has been to “facilitate my communications, integrate into the community, and to develop my networks.”

Among his many accomplishments, including a master’s degree in Logistics Management and International Transportation his native country Egypt, and achieving his citizenship, Aly recently worked on his own to achieve a Professional Data Analyst certificate through Google, in English.

Aspiring to become a Data Analyst, Aly is currently in the job application process, with the goal of eventually owning his own importing and exporting trading business. “Studying English opens new opportunities for me by increasing my knowledge and spreading my networks,” explains Aly.

Aly’s tutor Kristen says of Aly “he has been a dedicated, and motivated learner! He is a highly educated individual and applies his prior success to all he undertakes.”

Professional Conference Presentations

Literacy Delaware’s annual team SCRABBLE fundraising event, SCRABBLE Along the Brandywine 2025, is coming soon! We can’t wait for YOU and your team to join us for an evening of FUN!

Friday March 28, 2025 - 5:30 pm

Christ Church Christiana Hundred

505 Buck Road

Wilmington, DE 19807

While a formal invitation and opportunity to register will follow, please save the Friday March 28, 2025 date on your calendar for this event NOW!

Thank you for your support of adult literacy!