Literacy Impacts Everyone!

WHY do I support Washtenaw Literacy?

Literacy is a foundational skill for all other things in life. Seeing adult learners succeed at this most challenging task has always thrilled me. My love of learning and desire to share everything that I learned with others dates back to my earliest years. I thought high school teaching would be my path as that is what my dad did for 36 years. I played school with my little sister starting in first grade! So when I saw the flyer in the Ypsilanti District Library that said, "If you can read this, you can help someone else who can't," I thought that was something that would fill that desire to help.

My first individual learner, Woody, helped me understand some valuable things about his life and the challenges he faced without literacy. First, he only read 4 words – Debbie, Candy, Peggy, and Love (his wife and children’s names). He used drawings to leave messages for them. Second, any time he had a new place to go (like our tutoring location), his wife would go with him the day before so he could learn the route. Third, he told me after 6 months together that he never expected working with me would ever make any difference since the things he had tried before hadn’t. Fourth, after 18 months, he applied for a job at EMU as a custodian and was tested at a third grade reading level which was sufficient for them to hire him. (I just found his obituary – he died in 2003 at the age of 54 and was listed as a custodian at EMU.) Fifth, he went to YDL with his daughter who was 7 and they checked out picture books and read them together. Her reading improved in the 18 months we worked together. I believe the extra practice with a parent who was so open about his desire to read impacted her growth as well as his. He had very little embarrassment about reading children’s books. Lastly, he had stated when we began that his goal was to get a job and get off welfare. Once he got his job, I saw him infrequently and he stopped coming which was a BIG lesson to me that I always remember. The learner sets the goal and decides when they are done.

I invite you to join Washtenaw Literacy's efforts in whatever way speaks to your heart! Tutor! Serve on a committee! Donate! I have given $5,000 this year and I hope you will feel inspired to make a contribution to this wonderful, impactful organization to keep it going!

About the Author

Occupation: Retired Community Relations Coordinator for the Ypsilanti District Library 1996-2013; Director for Washtenaw Literacy 1986-1995.

Favorite Author: I don’t have one. I do enjoy historical fiction, mystery novels, and non-fiction.

Hobbies: Jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, visiting state capitols, traveling (especially in national parks), reading (recently hooked on audiobooks through Hoopla via YDL)