Literacy Source's Statement on Wednesday's Events at the Capitol Building in Washington DC
In light of the events that unfolded at the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6th, many of you may very reasonably be feeling anxiety and fear, even despair. This was one of the very few armed attacks on a federal building in our country's history and this violence in the US is astonishing and traumatic. The blatant contrast between the law enforcement reactions to the white nationalist terrorists vandalizing federal property and the BLM protesters in 2020 are a stark reminder of the ongoing impacts of racial inequity in our country. 
 
But there is reason for hope. Wednesday was a day of firsts: In the morning hours, Georgia elected their first black senator. As the day moved on, the first Jewish senator was also confirmed. Black voters showed up in record numbers to actively participate in our democracy, led by Stacey Abrams and many other black women. 

Literacy Source rejects violence in our democracy and we have faith in the legitimate and legal transfer of power and national reckoning with racism.
 
It is during times like these that values matter, and we are reminded of the values that we as an organization pledge to uphold: Equity, Inclusion, Integrity, Lifelong Learning, Collaboration, and Celebration. For all. In the work that we do, we encourage open and honest communication with our community of learners, our staff, and supporters to process and understand what is happening all around us, to hear everyone's perspective, and to create a stronger community.
Letter from the Co-Executive Directors

"Their structure, their passion, their high level of expertise and morale serve their students well all year long and especially in a time of great change and need for adaptation. When all this social distancing is behind us, I am certain thatLiteracy source will have expanded its reach and its tools and will serve its community even better."

~Peter Cole, Adult Services Librarian- King County Library System  
(and former Literacy Source Board Member)

Dear Literacy Source Community,

2020 was a tough year. Covid-19 introduced a new world, one that exacerbated the barriers that our students face in gaining employment, language and workforce skills. The team at Literacy Source rose to the occasion, adapting to our students' needs and partnering with local service providers to support students and their families so they can focus on building their language and literacy skills. As one of our instructors highlighted: "You cannot learn English when you are worried about feeding yourself and your family."

As we turn the corner on a new year, we look back at everything we have learned from 2020. From a lightning fast migration to virtual learning to continued efforts to incorporate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion into every facet of our work, we continue to learn and grow as an organization. In welcoming our new Co-ED model, we restructured to foster collaboration and ensure that we can excel as both a school and a non-profit. We also look forward to the coming year, and with high registration numbers for our winter term and hopefully a return to in-person classes this calendar year, our aspirations are high! 

Please read our Annual Report to learn more about our accomplishments for this past program year.

Thank you all for everything you do for Literacy Source and the community!

All the best for the new year, 

Shira Rosen.                                                   Cat Howell
Co-ED,  Managing Director                             Co-ED, Educational Director
New Student Orientation Update: Winter Quarter 2021
Looking Up: New Student Registration numbers suggest a promising year!

Literacy Source is excited to announce that we had 61 students register for Winter Quarter classes!

After a tumultuous year that saw a drop in enrollment in educational institutions across the country, we are thrilled that more learners are now in a place where they can focus on building the skills to help them create a brighter future for themselves and their families. This quarter, not only do we have the highest remote participants that we have since the pandemic began, we also have more students than we did in-person this time last year! The entire team at Literacy Source has worked so hard to get the word out and work with students to make these classes as accessible as possible. 

Although classes are full for this quarter, here is the link to sign up for our Spring Quarter classes, starting in April. If you or anyone you know could benefit from English, Citizenship, GED, or Beginning Computer classes, please encourage them to sign up!

New Staff: Welcome our new Development Manager
Phil Zoshak
Development Manager

A warm welcome to our newest addition to the Literacy Source team, Phil Zoshak!

Phil has ten years of nonprofit experience including five running his own nonprofit in Orlando, FL where he's lived since he was a kid. Family reasons brought him to Seattle, and he has already fallen in love with the PNW.  In his spare time, Phil considers himself an active nerd, spending a lot of time outdoors, and playing his all time favorite game, Dungeons and Dragons!

Phil's entire career has been focused on literacy, and he is beyond excited to be a part of this team!

Community Support


Thanks to our fantastic supporters, the Stay at Home Tea was a resounding success: we raised more than $58,000 to help adult learners work towards literacy, language skills, citizenship, better jobs, and better lives through free classroom and tutor instruction. Every dollar counts, and we are so thankful that you recognize the importance of what we do. We couldn't do this work without you!

We'd also like to express our deepest gratitude to those who went above and beyond in their generosity during the Stay at Home Tea Campaign:
  • Corrin Bohn
  • Jennifer Collins-Friedrichs
  • Tommy Donovan
  • Judy Jesiolowski
  • Pradipta and Saranga Komanduri
  • Jeffrey & Susan Lubetkin
  • AccMan, Inc.
  • Medina Foundation, for a $15,000 grant to support Literacy Source's Operations
  • The Butler Family Community Foundation, for a $3,200 grant for Technology Support
  • Union Bank, for a $5,000 grant towards operational support

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