Literacy Source Newsletter

OctoberNEWSLETTER | 2023

Welcome Note

You can feel it in the air; fall has arrived! At Literacy Source, that means classes have resumed, and we are as busy as ever! New Student Registration was last week, and if you want to get a feel for what it's like, here's a video created by our team.

We've introduced a new class, Ready to Work Bridge, which prepares students to enter college programs by providing intensive instruction in academic reading and writing skills. We're also expanding our in-person conversation classes to Delridge and Northgate. Almost all of our classes have a waiting list, which is why our supporters are so important to ensure we can continue to meet this increasing demand.

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) is also underway, and with Spanish being the second most commonly spoken language of our students, we appreciate the rich culture and history that the Spanish-speaking community brings to our community and our country. We look forward to seeing what the quarter brings and look forward to your continued partnership!

In Community,

Cat Howell

Co-ED, Educational Director

Shira Rosen

Co-ED, Managing Director

Pay Equity

We've been working on pay equity as part of our strategic plan, and one of our goals is to pay our staff a livable wage. Every member of our staff works so hard to make sure we are meeting the needs of our students and we want to ensure that they are compensated fairly for the work they do. We've been in conversations with non-profits who have increased all staff salaries to at least $70,000. That threshold is nearly on par with the $36/hr wage that a new data analysis released in June determined that a Washington renter needs to earn to afford the typical two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, a standard measure of affordability.

As we progress in our strategic plan, we hope to get the support of our entire community to pay our staff a living wage. We don’t currently have the resources to do that, but with your hope, we know we can get there.

Annual Report

685 students served at our center and partnership programs

52 languages spoken by our students

89% class completion rate

38,709 hours students spent in classroom and tutoring instruction

These are just some of the incredible stats you can read about in our annual report!

New Staff

We're excited to introduce our three new Americorps to the Literacy Source Team!

Alex Olsen

AmeriCorps Outreach and Systems Coordinator VISTA

Alex received their Undergraduate degree in International Studies with an emphasis in human rights, Scandinavian Area Studies, and a minor in Norwegian this last year from the University of Washington. Previously, they worked as the public policy intern for the university’s Office of Inclusive Design...

Leesy Latronica

AmeriCorps ABE & Digital Literacy Instructional Support

Leesy grew up in Southern California before moving north more than a decade ago to attend Western Washington University, where she studied journalism. Since moving to Seattle, she has worked as a copywriter and editor, freelance writer, and as a professional baker for several years after also attending pastry school...

Megan Allister

AmeriCorps ESOL & Citizenship Instructor

Megan is a native Washingtonian. She studied at Western Washington University, where she earned a B.A. in Linguistics and completed a TESOL Certificate program. She enjoys crocheting, learning new crafts, and playing video games. She currently lives with her family and their two cats.

To read their full bios, go here.

Back to School Campaign

Thank you for your support during our Back to School campaign! Our 2023 campaign focused on case management services, and we were able to raise $13,500 to reduce barriers so our students can build a better future for themselves, their families, and their community.

If you missed the chance to join in on our campaign, it's never too late to support our mission.

In the News

Literacy Source was featured in the newsletter of our 46th congressional district representative, Darya Farivar, after she paid a visit to our offices in late August.

Farivar highlights the great work Literacy Source and other organizations in the area are doing: "I also had the privilege of visiting human service providers in Lake City such as Literacy Source, North Helpline, and Hunger Intervention Program to see the tangible impact that human services can have on poverty reduction, accessing behavioral health resources, and slowing down the vicious cycle of poverty."

3200 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125 | (206) 782-2050

www.literacysource.org

Literacy Source is on the traditional lands of the Duwamish people, and we pay our respect to elders both past and present. To support the revival of Duwamish culture and the vitality of the Duwamish Tribe, please consider signing this petition to federally recognize them, or consider making a donation to Real Rent Duwamish.

Literacy Source has a new LinkedIn Page! Please check us out and follow us for updates.