A big thank you to all our dedicated volunteers during this past year! We truly appreciate your flexibility, creativity, patience, time, and effort as tutoring continued remotely. We couldn’t do it without you!
As we resume in-person activities, Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts (LVM) has provided guidelines for all who participate in LVM program activities. Please read the policy here.
We are hopeful that some of our fall 2021 classes will meet in-person as well. However, we anticipate that the majority will remain online. Students and teachers will have the option to participate in whichever way makes them feel more comfortable. We will take additional precautions for in-person classes as needed (e.g. limiting the number of students per class, using a larger classroom space, etc.).
Starting July 6th, our main office (third floor of the Worcester Public Library) will be reopened for limited drop-in hours: Monday through Wednesday 9am – 2pm as well as by appointment. Our satellite office (Madison Place) is open by appointment only. Please email info@lvgw.org to schedule an appointment with a staff member at either office.
Scrabble Scrambler & Auction
Join us for a fun night of word games to support LVGW! No preparation or materials necessary, just an open mind! We’ll teach you how to play. Register on Zoom by May 4th.
This event is free to attend and open to all. Donations are greatly appreciated and will help us provide free English and basic literacy instruction to 600 adults in Worcester this year. Help us reach our spring fundraising goal of $8,000! Make a one-time or monthly contribution to LVGW. Monthly donations have the greatest impact and help us sustain our work.
The online auction is open until May 6 at 8:30 pm. Place your bids now.
A big thank you to our event sponsors:
Open Mic 2/24: Languages of Love
We are excited to partner with the City of Worcester for the third installment of the Community from Home live, public open-mic series on Wednesday, February 24th from 7:00-8:00pm. Poets, authors, and musicians of all ages are invited to share original works of all subjects and/or interpret the evening’s theme, “Languages of Love.” Friendship, family, first loves, and more – recount experiences and memories of caring, compassion, and loving yourself and others!
We would love to hear LVGW student voices at this event! For students of all levels, this is a great opportunity to practice public speaking, and we would be happy to help you practice before the event. Please feel free to express yourself in more than one language.
To present your original piece at the event, please complete the Sign-Up Form by Monday, February 22nd.
Selected participants will be provided with a web conference link to present their original piece during the live virtual event which will be livestreamed from the City of Worcester’s official Facebook page.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email info@lvgw.org.
COVID-19 Updates as of 1/12/21
1/12/2021
All LVM In-Person Activities Remain Suspended Until Further Notice. Full message here.
9/2/2020
All in-person activities suspended through December 31, 2020. This includes tutoring, social meetings, group meetings, group instruction or gatherings of any kind. Read the message from Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts Executive Director Roberta Soolman here.
6/17/2020
In-person activities are still suspended until further notice. Please read the latest message from Roberta Soolman, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts.
5/27/2020
In-person activities are still suspended until further notice. Please read this message from Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts Executive Director Roberta Soolman. Both of LVGW’s offices will remain closed to the public until further notice. When we do reopen, please expect some changes in protocol (such as staggered staff schedules, making appointments to visit the office, and increased cleaning/sanitation of high-touch surfaces), which will help us ensure that our volunteers, students, and staff stay healthy and safe.
We will continue to communicate with you and let you know when we can resume in-person meetings. Thank you for your patience and perseverance with tutoring remotely. Stay well!
5/4/2020
No in-person activities until (at least) May 18, 2020
Thank you for reading, and take care.
4/13/2020
Hi all,
CLICK HERE TO READ AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts Executive Director Roberta Soolman detailing an extension of our office closure and cancellation of in-person activities through May 4.
LVGW is just one of 12 affiliates of Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts, and we have all been affected by the pandemic and state advisories to stay at home. Again, we encourage our tutors to stay in communication with their students via video conferencing, phone calls, emails, and texting – whatever works best. It has been amazing to hear from so many volunteers who are going above and beyond to support their students and LVGW during this difficult time. We couldn’t do this work without our volunteers. Please stay home and stay well.
Best,
Elyse
3/13/2020
Hello everyone,
We have been notified that all in-person Literacy Volunteers activities in all 12 Massachusetts affiliates have been immediately cancelled until April 9. MORE INFORMATION HERE. This is a temporary precaution to help slow the spread of the virus, in line with the CDC’s recommendations for community organizations. Please continue to practice social distancing, regular hand washing, and other good hygiene practices as recommended by the CDC to help keep our community healthy and safe.
The specific implications for Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester are as follows.
- All in-person one-to-one and group tutoring sessions are cancelled until April 9. Tutors, please feel free to use FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, WhatsApp, or simple phone calls and emails to remain in touch with your students. Tutors, please contact your students immediately to let them know of this temporary change. More information about technology resources will be sent next week to tutors.
- All in-person Literacy Academy classes are cancelled for the remainder of the semester. Some classes will be moved online. Lena will be in touch with the teachers on Monday to help plan the remainder of the semester via virtual learning. Students, please stay tuned for more details.
- The Rosetta Stone Open Lab is cancelled for the remainder of the semester.
- The remainder of the March ESOL Tutor Training session is cancelled until further notice. We will try to reschedule the remaining sessions in April or May depending on this evolving situation.
- The March 20th Tutor Workshop is cancelled until further notice.
- The March 29th Good Deeds Day Potluck & Cultural Celebration is cancelled until further notice.
- The April 7th Tutor Orientation is cancelled until further notice.
- Both LVGW offices will be closed through April 9. Administrative staff will be working remotely starting March 16.
- You can still contact us. To reach us by phone, please call 508-754-8056 and the following extensions to leave a voicemail. It will be emailed to us and we will return your call as soon as possible.
- Elyse Waksman / ewaksman@lvgw.org / ext. 7
- John Riley / jriley@lvgw.org / ext. 4
- Lena Webb / lwebb@lvgw.org / ext. 5
- Rafaela Joseph / info@lvgw.org / ext. 1
- Jeffrey Busha / jbusha@lvgw.org
- As of right now, the Scrabble event on May 2 is still scheduled. We will continue to monitor the situation and make a decision closer to that date based on the recommendations of the CDC and state and local health officials. We will send updates as the date approaches.
Please remember that these changes are temporary and precautionary to keep our community healthy and safe. We will continue to communicate with you all in the coming weeks. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time.
Together we will get through this! Stay well and take care.
Elyse Waksman
Executive Director
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester
47th Annual Meeting
This year we will have our annual meeting online via Zoom on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 6:00 pm. We will discuss our activities over the past year, our financial status, and our plans for the coming year.
Registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link.
The meeting is free to attend and all are welcome.
International Literacy Day – September 8, 2020
Donate today!
Literacy means different things for different people. For Azita, an immigrant from Iran, literacy means a path to independence.
“I want to stand on my own feet. I want to get an education and help people when they have financial problems.”
Azita has lived in the US for 15 years and has been studying with LVGW for five years. Before she came to LVGW, Azita was taking classes at a community college and said, “I didn’t talk that much. I would just leave class and come back. After that, I didn’t talk with anyone, just came home and talked to my family in Farsi. I found out I couldn’t follow my teacher’s lecture. In the next sentence, I was trying to figure out what she said in the previous sentence. I struggled a lot.”
Now, Azita says that she surprises herself with how much English she knows. “Sometimes when I talk, I think, ‘how did this word come out of my mouth?’ My brain just learned it!” Through the support of tutors, teachers, and staff at LVGW, coupled with more serious independent study, Azita has begun to learn more quickly. She loves to read, and her favorite book right now is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
With continued support from the LVGW community, Azita is following the path to independence through literacy.
Today, on International Literacy Day, we invite you to celebrate with us and help to increase literacy for hundreds of people like Azita.
Give today. Make a contribution of $30, $60, or $120 and receive a thank you gift.
To make a contribution offline, please mail your check to
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester
3 Salem Square, Suite 332
Worcester, MA 01608
Check out our Facebook page for more stories from students like Azita.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
The LVGW Team
In Solidarity
Dear friends,
We are deeply saddened by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others before them. We stand with the Black community in mourning. We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. Black lives matter.
We are committed to anti-racist education as a crucial part of our mission. The following is a list of resources that tutors and students can use in their lessons, as many learners have understandably raised questions about recent events.
- Change Agent Issue 42 — Race
- ESL Library Lesson on George Floyd Protests (Tutor Version) (Student Version)
- Letters for Black Lives
- Anti-Racism Resource List
- National Museum of African American History & Culture: Talking About Race
- Talking to Kids about Racism & Justice
We are determined to strengthen our leadership and volunteer recruitment practices to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to ensure that our leadership is more representative of those we serve. Over the coming months, we will engage more with students, tutors, teachers, and other stakeholders to better understand your respective experiences as well as seek ideas and input that will ultimately make us stronger as a community.
Conversations about race can be uncomfortable, and we do not pretend to have all the answers, but we are here to listen, talk, and learn together.
In solidarity,
The LVGW Team
Loreta and Crystal
Loreta and Crystal have been working together since January 2020 after Crystal completed our 18-hour ESOL tutor training program. Here is what they have to say about their time together:
“I am Loreta. I am from Albania. I have 5 years living here in Worcester. I miss the language but with the help that Crystal teacher is giving me, I am feeling something different. I understand sentences, I know how to read short passages, write a little, describe and more! Crystal is a great teacher. She finds my weakest part and works with me until she is convinced that I have learned it. The teacher gives me the opportunity to give my ideas. Thank you for this great job you are doing with me.” –Loreta
“Loreta and I have been in constant communication with one another during this pandemic. We have been video chatting through WhatsApp as well as texting. I’ve also been creating powerpoint slides as lessons for her. That way she can continue practicing how to read and write on her own and then we discuss and have conversation through video chat to review what she’s learned so far. It’s been an amazing experience. Not only are we tutors helping our students grow and flourish in this country, but we are also giving them a voice. The students need the language in order to survive, communicate, and defend themselves in this country. The only way to do this is to break down these barriers.” –Crystal
Spring into Literacy
“For the first time since I arrived [in the US], I felt part of this community, sharing with people like me,…and that really motivated me to keep growing.” This is how Maya, an English language learner, described her first experience with LVGW’s classes.
Throughout the past few months, we have remained committed to our students, and we have transitioned to distance learning for both classes and tutoring.
We need your help to sustain these vital services.
Hear from volunteers and students, including Maya, about what LVGW means to them:
We’re Going Virtual!
Over these past few weeks, we have been inspired by the creativity and compassion of our community banding together while remaining physically apart. Our tutors, teachers, and staff have been working hard to ensure a smooth transition to distance learning for all of our 600+ adult learners.
To ensure the health and well-being of everyone, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our in-person Scrabble Tournament, which had been scheduled for May 2. But don’t worry! With our virtual fundraiser, you will still be able to support our mission of helping people thrive, and you may even play some word games while you’re at it.
Read the update about our virtual fundraiser here.