‌
Dear Friend,
“We really seldom do anybody much good excepting as we share the deepest experiences of our souls… We need to struggle for more richness of soul.” - Dr. Frank Laubach
Literacy Services’ roots are deeply tied to Dr. Laubach, a groundbreaking literacy missionary, and the belief that partnership is the key to establishing a successful human connection. Dr. Laubach’s adult literacy philosophy of “each one, teach one” provided the recipe for our initial connectional partnership more than five decades ago. Today , we are responding to a constantly changing world and asking ourselves how we can use our strong foundation to better help our students navigate barriers on their own journeys of self-discovery. Today , we are engaged in community conversations and partnerships to discover more paths to student success. Today , we are reimagining the definition of literacy and its meaning in the 21st century. Today , we need your support to strive toward an even brighter tomorrow!
“People said, ‘You are too old for school.’ It seemed that my life was half past, so there was no way out. I am proud that I am… able to achieve a better life… and show the world that it’s never too late."

- Tarin, recent HSED graduate
Education is empowering . We know this to be true because 1,300 students across our eight Milwaukee neighborhood locations share amazing stories of achievement similar to Tarin’s. In our first year as a merged organization, we leveraged our already proven programming to create a comprehensive educational model to ensure that every student has the opportunity and access to achieve their goals. Tarin began her journey in our English Language Learning program. As she improved her English skills, she transitioned into our Adult Basic Education program focusing on reading, writing, and numeracy. She said, “I always wanted to go to school. I saw how people became something big. Even though my busy life was a handful, I still dreamed to one day pass high school.” Tarin reached for her dream and, in August 2017, she received her high school equivalency diploma! 
Tarin’s belief that “there is NO limit” echoes themes of ambition, discovery, and a commitment to education. We continue to see those same themes surface every day. Over 140 Literacy Services students like Tarin received their high school certification last year! This is a testament to the dreams and commitment of our learners, the dedication of our volunteers, and the financial support from a community who understands the transformational power of education. 
Your donation to Literacy Services will help us reach more students, engage more community volunteers, impact more lives, and empower more adults to learn and grow. Please click the donate button now to make a meaningful donation to support our mission. Your contributions will help make dreams come true!
With deepest gratitude,
Holly McCoy
Executive Director

P.S. Tarin is indeed proving that there are no limits! Currently, she is teaching Arabic to children at a Milwaukee area school. She is also enrolled at Milwaukee Area Technical College part-time for early childhood education.
DEFINING & DISCOVERING LITERACY
We all know literacy is important, but what does it mean to you?
We are creating an organizational definition of literacy that will be unveiled this spring. Engaging all of Literacy Services' friends in this process is really important, so we are interested in hearing from YOU, our supporters, on how you define literacy.

Email us your definition of literacy using the button below. Then, save the date to join us on Tuesday, May 14th at Discovery World for our 2019 Inspiration Awards & Fundraising Dinner and discover how your input has helped us define the word that defines our organization. 
Thank you for your feedback and support!