Literacy Lines Page 2

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1 Literacy June/July 2012 Lines Newsletter Major Events in 2012: Dates and times are subject to change. Please check our website for latest information June 12th 9:00-1:00pm Orientation 19th 9:00-1:00pm 21st 9:00-1:00pm 27th 11:00am Roundtable, Understanding our Students, Latin American Culture 4:00pm Board Meeting July 25th 4:00pm Board Meeting August 14th 5:00-9:00pm Orientation 21st 5:00-9:00pm 23rd 5:00-9:00pm 25th 10:00am-2:00pm Macys Shopping for a Cause September 8th International Literacy Day October 16th 12 noon-4:00pm Orientation 23rd 12 noon-4:00pm 25th November 9th 6:30pm Dancing with the Stars for Literacy, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club Visit us on the web at Literacy Volunteers of Collier County 8833 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, Fl Golfers prepare to raise money for LVCC at the J. Neil Birch Memorial Golf Tournament at Quail West. (Above and left). Reading the Greens for Literacy Gives Golfers a Challenge A group of enthusiastic golfers convened at Quail West Country Club recently to face two challenges: raise money for LVCC and shoot a really low scramble score. The golfers, including Board members, volunteer tutors and people who grasp the importance of LVCC s mission, enjoyed 18-holes of splendid golf before gathering for the scoreboard party when winners were announced. First place in the mixed and women s division, with an astonishing 53 that included three eagles, went to long-time LVCC supporters, Roger and Maura May with their partners, David and Beverly Kirk. Tied for second (54) were Dr Nick Shea (a Read-A-Thon participant in 2011) and his wife Pam, and their partners, Alison Golanski and Larry Smith. Tied for second were Marisol Myers, Rob Keleher, Rita Bleasdale and Pat O Connor. Pat was also a Read-A-Thon participant in In the men s division, winners were: Brian Stock, Mike Hulbert, Brad Haynes and Ken Lanigan (55). Second were Stephen Levitan, David McCabe, Bobby Long and Mark Farrell (56). The event was named the J. Neil Birch Memorial Golf Tournament in memory of Dr. Birch who, until his death in 2010, had supported our organization. LVCC is honored that Mrs. Kathryn Birch and her family continue that support, said Elaine Mayrides, Executive Director. Thanks to the generosity of the Birch family and Chico s,a raffle, sale of 1mulligans and yardsticks, and hole sponsorships LVCC netted $20,000 from the event

2 Literacy Lines Page 2 The Alphabet Project 2011 Letters Continue to Spell Out the Names of Literacy Supporters The 2011 Alphabet Project is drawing to a close. Originally begun by Board member, James Galton, four years ago, the Project has produced muchneeded dollars for LVCC. Advertisements continue to appear in the Naples Daily News recognizing the local businesses and organizations who have stepped up to the plate and made a donation. LVCC has been delighted with and appreciative of the support received from the following: A Arthrex C Naples Performing Arts Center D Naples Daily News H- Health Management Associates I IberiaBank L - Literacy Volunteers of Collier County Board of Directors M Mon Bijoux P PGA Superstore R Realtor Karen Coney Coplin U Naples United Church of Christ If readers and friends of literacy know of other organizations interested in buying a letter in the LVCC Alphabet Project, please contact the office. Outreach Coordinator Appointed After a short search, Elaine Mayrides has appointed tutor trainer, Flora Metrick to the new part-time position of outreach coordinator for LVCC. Flora, who also conducts conversation classes at LVCC, will concentrate on attracting more new tutors to our ranks. Flora will take our message to organizations in Collier County and encourage them to become tutors. The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can t read....mark Twain Grant for New Data Base Will Increase Efficiency Elaine Mayrides, our Executive Director, attended the annual League Club breakfast at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club to receive a check from The League Club to purchase a new data base for LVCC. Elaine applied for the grant last year and made a presentation to the Club earlier this year. Our data base has needed an upgrade for a long time and this grant will enable us, and especially Charity and Gary McClellan, to maintain our important information more efficiently, explained Elaine. Discovering New Opportunities At the inaugural meeting of Friends of Literacy a small group gathered to discuss the creation and implementation of membership based on the three concepts: time, talent and treasure. We uncovered opportunities to qualify membership into these for the prosperity of LVCC. Typically two of the three are ideal for non-profits including the board of directors. Time= volunteer hours, talent=expertise, and treasure=the almighty dollar. To that end, we made a presentation to the Board in April and the group welcomed our progress. Elaine is providing additional names and possible volunteer responsibilities, as well as time and talent volunteers, who are not part of our current devoted tutor corps. It was determined that treasure members are those willing to belong to LVCC for nominal membership dues. Kathy Hughes and I are planning a number of follow-up sessions to take advantage of the current momentum. Amy S. Hoffman Board member

3 Page 3 Some people will lie, cheat, steal and back-stab to get ahead...and to think, all they have to do is READ... -Fortune Snowbirds Leave Behind a Gap that Needs Filling Summer is here! At LVCC we have said goodbye to many of our tutors, who have headed north until next season. As the snowbirds leave, businesses and restaurants slow down. For the large number of our students who are employed in local businesses, it means they have more free time which they use to be with their families as well as focus on their English studies. It is unfortunate that just as they have more free time, we have fewer tutors to help them. We encourage these students to participate in our current conversation classes and we are also hoping to start new conversation classes. Despite this, we still have plenty of students who need our help. I have taken on a second student. If you have time this summer, you could step forward to work with a willing student. Even better, perhaps you would give four to five hours every week to prepare for and teach a small class. Maybe you have a friend who has always been interested in tutoring ask them to call us so they can sign up for our next tutor training workshop. LVCC cannot fulfill its important mission without tutors. We need you! Elaine Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere....m. Schmich New Board Elected A new Board and Executive Board were elected for 2012/2013 at LVCC s annual meeting. Board members elected for a two year term are: Ms. Rita Bleasdale, Mr. Robert Breitbard, Ms. Kathy Hughes, Ms. Pam Hunter, Ms. Jennifer Immel, Mr. Mitch Melheim, Mr. William Nichols, Ms. Judy Peterson, Ms. Sandra Rasmussen, and Ms. Kitty Sachs. Board members completing their terms, but not requiring election are: Ms. Amy Hoffman, Mr. Dick Melick, Ms Janet Saltarelli. The Executive Board elected: president,ms. Rita Bleasdale, vice president, Ms. Janet Saltarelli, secretary, Mr. Dick Melick, treasurer (interim) Mr. Mitch Melheim. Ms. Sandra Rasmussen is also a member of the Executive Board. Two New Computers to Give Internet Access to Students The Community Foundation of Naples has approved a grant to buy two new computers for LVCC. One of the computers will provide internet access for students as well as offer Skype conversations between students and their tutors who have left Naples for the summer. Signing Up Dancers for our Signature Event Dancing with the Stars for Literacy seems a long way off, but Elaine Mayrides told the Board at its monthly meeting she has already signed up three amateur dancers for the event and is actively courting three more. DWTS for Literacy will be held at the Naples Beach and Golf Hotel for the third consecutive year on Friday, 9th November Amateur dancers are paired with professional dancers from the Naples Center for the Performing Arts. Throughout the summer, the amateurs will perfect their routines. Lori Vallieres, owner of the Center will, once again, provide the dancing lessons with Jeff Hajko who returns as a professional dancer. Amateur dancers sign an agreement to raise in excess of $4,000 through table sales, selling ads in the program book, and donations. DWTS is LVCC s most significant fundraiser. No From Verizon News of approved grants is always encouraging although some of our applications are not successful. Such was the case with our approach to Verizon, a company whose web site indicates it supports literacy programs. Unfortunately, no information is available about the reason for the rejection. 3

4 Literacy Lines Page 4 Elaine Newton to Speak at LVCC Event Honorary Board member, Elaine Newton, will be the keynote speaker at an LVCC event on 17th January 2013, when it is expected her subject will be the role of the critic. As yet no firm plans have been established apart from the date and the Board and Elaine Mayrides are investigating a number of options. In addition, Elaine Newton has also agreed to attend a smaller event, possibly to recognize our volunteer tutors, and the new group, Friends of Literacy. Please watch this space for more details as the event on 17th January is sure to be a huge sell-out and we want our LVCC supporters to be well represented. Donor Appreciation Donors to LVCC since the last Literacy Lines Newsletter are: W. L. Nichols G. Drayton Jones Marjorie L. Aubrey Edna Burns C. Arthur Pearson Bob and Jackie Stag Community Foundation of Collier County - grant Emmanuel Lutheran Church A Valued and Effective Board Member The Board accepted, with great disappointment, the resignation of Jim Galton, who has been an effective long-time supporter and Board member of LVCC. His enthusiasm for the cause of literacy, his dedication to our mission and ideas for furthering the cause have been invaluable. Jim initiated the Alphabet Project, which in its most successful year raised in excess of $40,000. Through it all, Jim was also a dedicated tutor. To show our regard and appreciation for Jim s contributions, the Board unanimously passed a motion to add Jim to our list of illustrious honorary Board members. We were sorry to learn that Trish Hare, after three years on the Board, resigned owing to obligations at work. We thank her for her time and efforts, especially on the Advisory Board for Dancing with the Stars for Literacy and the Alphabet Project. Trish indicated she would continue to support LVCC and for that and her previous service, we thank her. These two resignations underscore the need for LVCC to find new, dedicated people to serve on our Board. Recently we added Bill Nichols and Kathy Hughes, who have made significant contributions to our deliberations as well as to our mission. However, if LVCC is to continue to grow at its present rate, we need to identify others with an interest in literacy, who understand our purpose and can help make us more effective. Please let either Elaine or me know of friends who could fill this rewarding position. While saying goodbye to two good friends, I also want to thank Judy Peterson who, for many years, was secretary to LVCC. She stepped down at the annual meeting but remains a Board member. Our newlyelected secretary is Dick Melick. It is also a pleasure to thank the Board members and to say how much I value working with them. Rita A Fine Example of Community Involvement in Naples Manor Dr. Janet Messer, principal of Parkside Elementary School, where LVCC established a Moms and Tots Program last Fall, gave an informal talk to members following the formal business of LVCC s annual meeting. Sharing facts and numbers, Dr. Messer said she was especially pleased with the level of community partnerships established with her school over the years, referring to LVCC s program as a fine example of such involvement. Never minimize the work that you do, Dr. Messer said. She said she was proud fact that in the past year there had been over 6,000 parent/teacher conferences an impressive increase. Parkside has also reduced the tardy rate of students from 6 down to 2 in five years. Dr. Messer told the meeting she was delighted that LVCC was expanding the Moms and Tots program at Parkside, and invited LVCC members to visit the School.

5 Page 5 A Bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.... Jerry Seinfeld Meet a Tutor Looking for New Retirement Challenges Type AA Personality Finds Them at LVCC Jim Feeney, born in NYC, started his career as a writer at Life Magazine, but spent the rest of his career in advertising. At the Ted Bates Agency, he eventually worked his way into senior management. Over the next almost 30 years he was President and CEO of two advertising agencies. Along the way, he helped introduce many new products and services to the American and International consumer. A passionate reader and collector of books, he had a library of over 20,000 volumes in his home in Connecticut. When he and his wife moved to Naples in 2006, he found himself at quite a crossroads. After the whirlwind of his life up to that point, he found facing retirement a most difficult task. As a Type AA personality, he had worked and played hard. So he started working with various charities, political campaigns and Public Boards to find new challenges. Last year, he saw the first sticker that LVCC ever put on the Naples Daily News front page. He decided to become an LVCC tutor, and couldn t be more pleased with the experience. Nidia, Jim s first student, was a socially awkward and shy woman in her 60s from Havana. Jim worked with her on her social skills as well as her English skills and said the change in her demeanor and confidence was amazing. He also shared his love for Mozart with her. She completely enjoyed the music she was able to hear in her home for the first time, and spoke of it often. Unfortunately, Nidia had to take a six month break recently, so Jim decided to take on another student, even though he will also be working with Nidia when she returns. His new student, James, is a college graduate from Haiti, who speaks French and Creole. His great desire is to be able to speak and write English fluently. James is a serious student who works hard at both disciplines. He is making great progress, even in the short time that they have been working together. Jim gave James a book on Abraham Lincoln and expected that James would have read a chapter or two when they next met. He was amazed that James had read the entire book, and enthusiastically reported on the highlights. Jim has found that his tutoring experience has really enriched his life. He values the friendships he has made throughout his career and sees that this new chapter in his life will bring him many new friends. Janet Saltarelli Board member, tutor Buy Books Donation Once again The Stonebridge Book Club has donated $500 to LVCC with a request that the money is used to buy books. LVCC is, of course, delighted to comply with the request. Finding Ways to Tap Volunteers Interests in Literacy For almost as long as LVCC has been operating, the difficulty of retaining our trained tutor volunteers has caused much debate. Now, in a new twist, two Board members have stepped forward to address the subject, working on the premise that some volunteers will never return as tutors but, having shown an interest in literacy, can be persuaded to return to LVCC as volunteers in a capacity other than tutor. Amy Hoffman and Kathy Hughes held the first focus group recently and received useful input at the session. There is a sense that a Friends of Literacy group (perhaps known as The Follies) would be prepared to pay a membership fee of $25 annually to become part of a group willing to step forward to help LVCC in all manner of capacities. Included in the suggestions was the idea that volunteers could drive students to meet their tutors as some students have to take two buses to reach LVCC offices. Bill Nichols, Board member and conversation class tutor, highlighted the issue of access to LVCC offices. He explained that if his one-toone student, who lives in Golden Gate, relied exclusively on public transport, it would take her an hour and a half to reach our offices, requiring two bus changes and a long wait at County Hall. Before the next focus group, Elaine Mayrides will provide Amy and Kathy with a list of office tasks which Friends of Literacy could handle. No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance....confucius

6 Literacy Lines Page 6 Facts about Students Backgrounds Statistics tell us a lot about our students backgrounds. Recent figures show the country of origin of 161 adult learners seeking help at LVCC. Interestingly, the highest number - almost a quarter of all students come from Colombia, edging out Mexico, representing 19% of students. Next are learners from Cuba 13% and then Argentina, with 10 students. Reflecting LVCC s move to Lely Plaza, there are now eight adult learners from Haiti in our ranks. LVCC also supports students from Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Lithuania, Peru,Venezuela, Turkey and Russia. Sticking with the Sticker Whatever you think about the annoying little stickers on the front page of the Naples Daily News, they have proved to be highly effective for LVCC. When we ran a sticker before the August training session last year, the response was nearly overwhelming. Based on that, LVCC has signed a contract with the NDN to repeat the sticker this summer. Additionally, by spending a few more dollars for the sticker, LVCC will be able to run advertisements at a special, discounted rate. No date has been selected for the sticker ad, but look for it before the August tutor training session. This will never be a civilized country until we expend more money for books than we do for chewing gum....elbert Hubbard Safe Walking, Biking and Learning Program coordinator Ingrid Fernandez has identified an interesting project, called Walk and Bike Safely, on the web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and thinks it might help tutors with a new approach to learning English. The Walk and Bike Safely curriculum is designed specifically for use by teachers and volunteers working with adult immigrants who are beginning English language learners. It consists of a teacher's guide, a student workbook, and two audio segments for student practice. Walk and Bike Safely consists of six lessons. The first three focus on pedestrian safety and traffic signs, and the last three on bicycle safety. All contain messages relevant to both pedestrians and bicyclists, and to road safety in general. Back on the Frontline After a hiatus of five years, Board member Kitty Sachs is returning to the frontlines of LVCC by conducting the next Session with Flora Metrick. Earlier, when Kitty was a tutor trainer, she worked with the four-day, 16-hour sessions, but has adapted to the shorter session. Welcome back, Kitty. Once again, LVCC will be represented at Macy s Shop for a Cause charity which will be held on Saturday, 25th August at the Coastland Mall Macy s. LVCC will be represented by Jane Teal, a former Macy s employee who has joined our ranks as a volunteer, together with Rita Bleasdale. LVCC s table will be backed by our impressive banner and the table will carry information about our mission and volunteer opportunities. Jane once helped coordinate the event for Macy s, and has already given LVCC useful hints which will help make our presence felt. She noted that in the past, the tables with the most cookies received the most attention from the shopping public. You can be sure LVCC s table will be well endowed with cookies as wel as LVCC information, said Elaine Mayrides.. Shopping for LVCC Coupons are being sold by LVCC for $5 which will give the purchasers the opportunity to receive a 25% discount on the day at Macy s. A discount of 10% will be offered on furniture, mattresses and area rugs. Some restrictions will apply but our supporters will also be eligible to win a $500 gift card no purchase necessary. LVCC will retain all the proceeds from the sale of the coupons. If you would like to help sell a few $5 coupons, LVCC wants to hear from you! When you support Literacy... EVERYONE WINS!

7 Page 7 There are many little ways to enlarge your child s world. Love of books is the best of all.... Jacqueline Kennedy Happenings at LVCC Bill Nichols (standing left) and Flora Metrick (standing right) conducting their popular conversation classes at LVCC offices. Rocio Caballero (left) proudly holds the American flag after passing her citizenship test. Rocio s tutor is Sandra Rasmussen. Pre-K children (right) at the LVCC Moms and Tots class at Parkside Elementary School.

8 LVCC Board Members Rita Bleasdale President Janet Saltarelli Vice-President Mitch Melheim Treasurer Dick Melick Secretary Sandi Rasmussen Immediate Past President Robert Breitbard Ellen Goldman Amy Hoffman Kathy Hughes Pam Hunter Jennifer Immel Bill Nichols Kitty Sachs Honorary Board Edna Burns James Galton Leo Mediavilla Elaine Newton Dennis Sprague Thomas Sully Staff Elaine Mayrides, Exec. Director Ingrid Fernandez, Program Coordinator Sandra Barreto, Exec. Assistant Literacy Lines Contributors Editor: Rita Bleasdale Editor-at-large: Elaine Mayrides Design and Lay-Out: Pam Hunter, Paisley Thyme Contributors: Janet Saltarelli, Amy Hoffman Lely Plaza 8833 Tamiami Trail East Naples, Fl (fax) Make a Donation Now and Make a Difference Name Address City State Home Zip Cell Amount Please return your check made out to LVCC to us at 8833 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, Fl Thank you for helping us continue to make a difference in Collier County!