I am delighted to report that our Fundraising Committee is well on its way to developing a plan to continue into the 2011-2012 Fiscal Year. (We are already fully funded for FY 2010-2011.) Our Board will meet next month to approve the funding goal and the task list.
The committee is chaired by volunteer Malcolm Bates, who brings his professional marketing skills to the table. Malcolm is tech-savvy and super organized and things are starting to happen. We have also recruited an intern to help put "boots on the ground" as we grow our community's awareness of the importance of Lifelong Learning for All.
These are exciting times! It feels good to be moving forward with the momemtum of our successful efforts this spring. Our supporters and donors will be hearing from us more often. We have a story to tell! Stay tuned......
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
When nobody else will do it....
Turning Pages is proud to fill needs in our community that nobody else will touch. Consider the situation of someone I will call "Terry", who called our office asking for help. As we talked, I helped her describe her need.
"I don't really know how to describe it," she said. "I guess I need to tell you my situation.
You see, I've had to undergo shock therapy recently, for depression. I'm doing a whole lot better now, but I can't seem to remember how to spell, and sometimes I can't write very well."
Was this a problem before?
"No. I was okay."
How is the situation affecting your life?
"I am well enough now that I am doing some work for a non-profit organization. I interview clients. The trouble is, I need to take notes and write reports. It's hard."
I explained to Terry that our services are delivered by volunteers. Was she okay being open about her psychiatric history? Could she get permission for a tutor to work with her while she writes her reports? She thought so.
I told Terry we would be happy to assess her current skill level and match her with a tutor if appropriate. "Perhaps your memory just needs to be stimulated systematically," I said, "to regain what you used to know. I'm not sure. But if you would like to try it, we can connect you with just the right person. We have a volunteer who will likely be interested in this and willing to help."
Terry's relief and appreciation were overwhelming.
The Turning Pages mission statement is "to enable adults to improve English language and reading skills through customized learning programs."
Our ability to help Terry is about as customized as you can get.
"I don't really know how to describe it," she said. "I guess I need to tell you my situation.
You see, I've had to undergo shock therapy recently, for depression. I'm doing a whole lot better now, but I can't seem to remember how to spell, and sometimes I can't write very well."
Was this a problem before?
"No. I was okay."
How is the situation affecting your life?
"I am well enough now that I am doing some work for a non-profit organization. I interview clients. The trouble is, I need to take notes and write reports. It's hard."
I explained to Terry that our services are delivered by volunteers. Was she okay being open about her psychiatric history? Could she get permission for a tutor to work with her while she writes her reports? She thought so.
I told Terry we would be happy to assess her current skill level and match her with a tutor if appropriate. "Perhaps your memory just needs to be stimulated systematically," I said, "to regain what you used to know. I'm not sure. But if you would like to try it, we can connect you with just the right person. We have a volunteer who will likely be interested in this and willing to help."
Terry's relief and appreciation were overwhelming.
The Turning Pages mission statement is "to enable adults to improve English language and reading skills through customized learning programs."
Our ability to help Terry is about as customized as you can get.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The world is changing too fast....
Some days I feel so insignificant. The world is changing too fast, and I can't do a thing about it. Don't get me wrong; I like change and variety. The problem is keeping up! Too much going on. Too many people to connect with, or answer to, or do right by. Too many emails, voice mails, and junk mails. So many choices. Sometimes it all seems so bewildering. In 1970, the futurist Alvin Toffler wrote in Future Shock, "The illiterate of the year 2000 will NOT be someone who cannot read or write, but someone who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn." Jeeps, how did he know? He wrote this 40 years ago!
My own "future shock" is why I am so thrilled that Turning Pages has reached the modest but significant goal of raising $25,000 in two months. We are a tiny non-profit struggling to stay alive in order to keep serving the people who need us. Reaching this goal means we have enough funding to stay open for another whole year.
Frankly, I didn't think it would happen. But I didn't know the power of small contributions from donors whom I thought had little to give. These are hard times. How could we beg our friends, families and associates to support the cause of adult literacy, a hidden problem, but one affecting more than 600,000 families in South Carolina? But I swallowed my reluctance and announced our need. And lo and behold, we are still here!
Individuals willing to give just a little bit are NOT insignificant. There is an old joke: "How do you eat an elephant? Why, one bite at a time, of course!" One donor at a time, one dollar at a time, many individuals have joined together to make a difference. It wasn't big government funding or a grant or a slick special event that saved us. It was a group of individuals.
Words of thanks fail to communicate how grateful and proud I am to lead Turning Pages as executive director. The world is changing too fast, but we are all in this together. Everything is going to be all right.
My own "future shock" is why I am so thrilled that Turning Pages has reached the modest but significant goal of raising $25,000 in two months. We are a tiny non-profit struggling to stay alive in order to keep serving the people who need us. Reaching this goal means we have enough funding to stay open for another whole year.
Frankly, I didn't think it would happen. But I didn't know the power of small contributions from donors whom I thought had little to give. These are hard times. How could we beg our friends, families and associates to support the cause of adult literacy, a hidden problem, but one affecting more than 600,000 families in South Carolina? But I swallowed my reluctance and announced our need. And lo and behold, we are still here!
Individuals willing to give just a little bit are NOT insignificant. There is an old joke: "How do you eat an elephant? Why, one bite at a time, of course!" One donor at a time, one dollar at a time, many individuals have joined together to make a difference. It wasn't big government funding or a grant or a slick special event that saved us. It was a group of individuals.
Words of thanks fail to communicate how grateful and proud I am to lead Turning Pages as executive director. The world is changing too fast, but we are all in this together. Everything is going to be all right.
Volunteer Orientation
Yesterday afternoon I had a volunteer orientation session. This is one of my favorite parts of working as the volunteer manager. I love meeting new people. It's so interesting to meet a person face-to-face after exchanging phone calls and emails. (If you'd like to attend a volunteer orientation, go to www.literacycolumbia.org and submit a volunteer application, under the "Become A Volunteer" tab.)
Yesterday's group were all women -- graduate students, retirees, and a member of the Army. We reflected on the many reasons that an adult might grow up without learning to read, and the many reasons that an adult might decide that now is the time to learn. Each of us have different life experiences, interests, and goals, but one thing is constant - we all love to read and couldn't imagine our lives if we didn't or couldn't.
At volunteer orientation, I ask people to introduce themselves by saying their name, why they decided to volunteer, and what is the best book they have read recently. I like to get to know people in this way, and I like to get a few good book recommendations.
In the comments section, feel free to leave your name (or pseudonym!), how you found your way to our blog, and a good book you've read recently!
I'll go first... my name is Genevieve, I found this blog because I founded it (pun intended :-D ), so as to better reach the community, and recently I've been reading Julia Child's memoir My Life in France.
Yesterday's group were all women -- graduate students, retirees, and a member of the Army. We reflected on the many reasons that an adult might grow up without learning to read, and the many reasons that an adult might decide that now is the time to learn. Each of us have different life experiences, interests, and goals, but one thing is constant - we all love to read and couldn't imagine our lives if we didn't or couldn't.
At volunteer orientation, I ask people to introduce themselves by saying their name, why they decided to volunteer, and what is the best book they have read recently. I like to get to know people in this way, and I like to get a few good book recommendations.
In the comments section, feel free to leave your name (or pseudonym!), how you found your way to our blog, and a good book you've read recently!
I'll go first... my name is Genevieve, I found this blog because I founded it (pun intended :-D ), so as to better reach the community, and recently I've been reading Julia Child's memoir My Life in France.
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