Harry Marsden's Fundraiser
Literacy Impacts Everyone!
Washtenaw Literacy is celebrating 50 years of service & support. Together we can build a more literate community!
Dan Klein
"Many years ago, Harry wrote the letter that freed me from the obligations of continuing to be an LSA student. Happy to donate in his honor."
$50
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Anne Clites
I donated in support of this campaign.
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Lynn Chard
I donated in support of this campaign.
$150
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Anne Clites
I donated in support of this campaign.
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Lynn Chard
I donated in support of this campaign.
$150
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Gabriela McCubbrey
"Thank you for all you do!!!"
$50
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Anne Clites
"Thank you to all of the wonderful Washtenaw Literacy mentors! You are all beyond wonderful!"
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Joanna Solfrian
"With love and respect for my uncle Harry Marsden and all of the wonderful people he works with!"
$100
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Lynn Chard
"I’m happy to support this worthy organization and its many committed volunteers such as Harry"
$150
A supporter of Harry Marsden
I donated in support of this campaign.
$50
SNEEZE
Vera came to our weekly lesson looking worried and lost. She told me a story from the day before. Vera had been sitting in a classroom with a handful of others waiting for a presentation to start, and she sneezed. “They all said something to me,” Vera shared. “What did they say, and was I supposed to say something back?”
We all know more or less what people said---to us it’s automatic in our culture and language. We speak without any conscious thinking. Vera was worried that she had been rude (in not answering). But far more, she saw herself as a minority of one. They all knew and responded, she had no clue. This is a feeling of loneliness, of being “other.” The lesson plan for that day stayed in my tutor bag. We covered this one incident, and then broadened it to other situations. “Tell me about a time this week when you had to ask a question in English, and you understood the answer someone gave you,” I asked. “See, you weren’t the “other” then, you were just a learner.”
When we have the chance to teach a learner something she really cares about, and build in some laughter, she feels respected, confident, happy. Tutoring is about the whole person.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Occupation: Retired, Academic Advisor for the University of Michigan, Literature, Sciences, & the Arts
Who I serve: For 13 years, I've been supporting ESL & Basic Literacy Learners (native English speakers with literacy struggles).
How I began: After my wife died, a co-worker at the University of Michigan, a longtime friend, suggested Washtenaw Literacy. She said, “You should do this!” She knew my wife had died and that I was planning to retire.
Why I Tutor: Tutoring is the best thing I’ve ever done! Our learners all have significant needs, want to meet their goals, and take control of their own lives. Washtenaw Literacy allows me to work with our learners to achieve their goals.
Favorite Author: Jane Austen
Favorite Learner quotes:
Learner 1: One Russian Jewish learner said to me, “You are setting free our tongues.” She disliked speaking her native tongue, Yiddish, because it only reminded her of all the family and friends who had been shot.
Learner 2: Another learner, an inmate in our local jail, told me that I had just changed his life, because I showed him how to flip around some fraction equations so that he could see for himself whether he’d gotten the right answers. I explained that equations were simply statements of balance. He cried, and shared, “No one has ever spent time with me explaining things I want to learn about. You are changing my life.”
Join me!
Today, I am pledging $500 a year for 5 years to help create a sustainable future for Washtenaw Literacy. Please consider joining me by making a multi year pledge of any amount. You will impact someone's life forever.
Thank you for considering this life changing opportunity.