NAME CHANGE TO REACH MORE STUDENTS in NEED OF LITERACY SUPPORT

 THE LITERACY Volunteers of Southern Connecticut

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 LITERACY CENTER of MILFORD CHANGES NAME TO
REACH MORE STUDENTS in NEED OF LITERACY SUPPORT   

The Literacy Center of Milford, Inc. has undergone a name change to Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut, Inc.  The Literacy Center of Milford has been tutoring adults in the Greater Milford area, including 10 surrounding cities for 20 years.  “We service many more communities than just Milford,” says Executive Director Tami Jackson.  “It became important for us to change our name to properly serve the immigrant population and meet the needs as it continues to grow.”

Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut will continue to serve over 100 adults each year with literacy support.  Its mission is to provide services at no cost to any individual who wishes to learn the English language or enhance their reading, writing, speaking and math skills necessary to lead productive lives in our community.  The LVSCT envisions a community of harmony and abundance where all people and their children attain their educational and life goals, and become functioning and contributing members of our communities and society.

The organization’s main headquarters are located at the Fannie Beach Community Center at 16 Dixon Street in Milford with satellite offices at the Milford Library and Stratford Library. Its organization consists of a Board of Directors and an Executive Director who guide its operation. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization gets its funding from civic donations, corporate and financial institution donations, charity foundation grants, fundraising events, and individual contributions.

As a community-minded organization with a deep understanding of literacy’s vital role in determining a community’s vitality, prosperity, and well-being, LVSCT ensures that its mission of nonprofit literacy continues to grow. Thereby, the organization continues to forge strong links to the community and its school systems in developing programs in support of its educational mission for the common good.

Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut offers adult literacy programs which are designed to help students with the GED (General Education Development) exam, NEDP (National External Diploma Program) and with the process of attaining US Citizenship, as well as to develop basic skills in English with its ESL (English-as-a-second-language) program or math in order to become functioning members of society. In 2014, the organization expanded its curriculum to include a hands-on, basic computer education program so that students can become comfortable with computing. LVSCT is a hub of learning with well over 5,000 hours last year were logged by volunteers who arm the students for the real world with defined literacy skills.  

LVSCT also provides an expanding literacy programs designed for children, from babies and toddlers to middle-school-age kids. It holds weekly story hours, book give-a-ways, individual reading sessions, and family-based literacy programs at the local middle school. In 2015, our volunteer readers logged over 200 hours in our children reading programs, and donated 1,000 books to local children.

The organization is a proud affiliate of the national Pro Literacy Worldwide network of adult basic education and literacy programs, and is a United Way of Milford member agency. This United Way partnering is an acknowledgement that the organization shares their approach to improving lives, which is through mobilizing the caring power of communities. The LVSCT also works with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

Like most organizational beginnings, LVSCT started out small – as a committee-run satellite office of the Literacy Volunteers of New Haven with funding from the Junior Women’s Club of Milford. The charity later became the sole task of Frances O’Neill, its first Executive Director. She ran the program out of her home until 1992 when the City of Milford provided office space at the Margaret Egan Center. In 1994, Ms. O’Neill turned over the reins to Joy Stonier and Karen O’Neill, who were instrumental in forming the non-profit, community-based literacy agency known as The Literacy Center of Milford. Through corporate sponsorships, donations, and specialized staffing, the organization sprouted. In 1995, the Center was relocated to the Fannie Beach Community Center, its current headquarters.  In 2016 the Literacy Center of Milford was renamed to Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut, Inc. and is led by Executive Director, Tami Jackson.

If you are interested in becoming a literacy volunteer, 
call 203-878-4800.  The next tutor training class will be at the Stratford Library, 2203 Main St. on Wednesday, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.  6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Visit us at www.lvsct.org.