Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester

Providing English language proficiency for Economic Security

COVID-19 Updates as of 9/2/2020

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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
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.
  • 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

International Literacy Day – September 8, 2020

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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

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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.

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

Spring into Literacy

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“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:

Read more.

We’re Going Virtual!

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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.

 

CANCELLED. Cultural Celebration & Potluck Lunch

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UPDATE: This event has been cancelled as of 3/12/2020.

Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester is hosting a Cultural Celebration & Potluck Lunch for our students and their families in collaboration with the JCC on Good Deeds Day!

Share food and learn about other cultures. We will have conversation activities for students to practice speaking. Please feel free to bring a dish for the potluck lunch! View the flyer here.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

LVGW Classroom, 90 Madison St. Room 303A

11:00am-1:00pm

Student Family Scrabble Game Day at LVGW 4.7.19!

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Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester is hosting a Family Scrabble Game Day

for our students and their families in collaboration with the JCC on Good Deeds Day!

Where and When:  Sunday, April 7, 2019

LVGW Classroom, 90 Madison St. Room 303A

11:00am-1:00pm

Register by April 5th at  info@lvgw.org – Reserve your seat with Lena today!

For more details, see our  LVGW and JCC Student Scrabble Flyer for more

 

 Individuals and families are invited to learn a new word game and meet new members of our community.  We hope that you can join us!

 

18th Annual Scrabble Scrimmage Tournament 5.4.2019

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Thank you to all 2019 Scrabble players, teams, volunteers and sponsors for another wonderful 18th Annual Scrabble Scrimmage Tournament!  A special congratulations to these top three scoring teams!

 Bay State Scrabblers

  Dictionary Divas

 TrustMeitsaWord

Visit our Facebook page for more fabulous photos taken by our fabulous photographer, Fabio Nascimento. Please save the date for next year’s Scrabble Scrimmage, Saturday, May 2, 2020 from 5-8pm!

 

18th Annual Scrabble Scrimmage Tournament 5.4.2019

When: Join us on Saturday, May 4th, 2019 from 5:00pm-8:00pm!
Where: Worcester State University, 486 Chandler Street, Worcester MA.

We hope you can join us for this annual competition for adults of all abilities. Includes prizes, food, beverages, raffle, cash bar prizes and a fun time!  Pull a team of 3-6 players together and see if your company can claim first prize over last year’s winner, Bay State Savings Bank! Registration is $25 per person and includes dinner!

Proceeds support our English literacy education programs and the 600 adult students we educate!

Click here to register today or contact us at info@lvgw.org for more information about attending, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities!

Thank you to our current sponsors!

Leadership Level Sponsor: Bay State Savings Bank
Teacher Level Sponsors: Countrybank and Fletcher Tilton, PC

 

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