Eunbi Lee is soaring to great heights with literacy! Congratulations to Eunbi, who has been studying English with LVNRV tutor Kiki McGrath, and recently achieved a career goal! Eunbi has worked hard (even through the pandemic, now she meets with her tutor using Zoom) to learn English to be more independent in the community and to speak and understand English proficiently in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a yoga teacher. She recently wrote an essay in English and was granted a scholarship to fund her yoga instructor certification! She is on her way to dreams come true! Way to go, Eunbi!
Student Success Story: Julieth Marcela!
Meet Julieth Marcela
Please join us in extending our congratulations to Julieth Marcela, who just got her dream job as a translator for Montgomery County Public Schools! It has been such a joy to work with Julieth Marcela for the past 2 years, and we are so inspired by her dedication to learning and to achieving her goals. Julieth Marcela worked hard to improve her English skills by not only studying each day with LVNRV volunteer tutor Marita Dragan but also by attending English class through New River Community College and Blacksburg Baptist Church. The pandemic did not stop her from learning — she switched to online study. She worked so hard to improve her own English skills to achieve her employment goals and increased independence in the community but also so she could help her daughter to learn. Julieth Marcela participated in our family literacy program to learn English to read with her daughter and help her be successful in school, and she and her daughter did online tutoring sessions with her tutor so Julieth Marcela could learn skills to help her daughter with her school work. “Such a privilege to be working with someone like this, and such an eye opener in how terribly difficult English is,” said Marita. “She is so ambitious and works so hard. This has been such a remarkable journey. Julieth Marcela is now working in a job that provides her with fulfillment and a good income, volunteering in the community to help other English language learners, and is taking college classes! “ We wish Julieth Marcela all the very best in her job helping others in our community to be independent!
Literacy Lifts NRV: Meet John
With literacy, the sky's the limit! John’s hard work with a tutor has paid off in more ways than one! John has learned computer and literacy skills to effectively communicate at work, AND he recently earned a promotion! Hip hip hooray! His determination to increase his skills and achieve new goals is so inspirational! He works full-time and cares for a farm and an elderly parent, but he still makes time for tutoring. He worked hard to learn the technology and skills needed so he can continue to meet with his tutor during the pandemic. John is now using Zoom to meet with tutor Mike — and he is “zooming” on toward his next goal, a work-related certification. Literacy is a launchpad to opportunity! Keep up the great work, John, and you will keep soaring to new heights with literacy!
Literacy Lifts NRV! Meet Freda . . .
“I got tired of people reading things for me,” said Freda, age 61, who read the first book of her life during the spring of 2020, during coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders.
Freda’s father did not allow her to go to school, so she never had the opportunity to learn to read. Now, she wants to be able to read storybooks to her grand-nephew and read the Bible. She has worked hard with her tutor, Nikki, getting to know sight words and sounding out words using beginner books and activities to learn consonant digraphs. She is so determined to read that she hasn’t let the pandemic stop her! In the spring, Nikki dropped off books to Freda’s home and she and Freda practiced reading them together over the phone. When the temperatures warmed, they moved outside for masked tutoring. And now, Freda and Nikki will be able to work remotely thanks to LVNRV’s Bridge to Digital Learning Initiative that provided her with a donated tablet and technical assistance to make distance learning possible.
"Freda has shown great dedication to learning to read. She practices between sessions and is diligent with homework assignments," said Nikki, who agreed to an increase from once/week to twice/week sessions when Freda requested more time for tutoring. “She has now read three books!” Freda can’t wait to see her grand-nephew again, so she can read him one of the many books she has conquered!
We are so inspired by your hard work and commitment to learning, Freda! Keep up the great work!
Literacy Lifts NRV! Meet Diana
Literacy is a launchpad to a strong foundation for the next generation!
Meet Diana and her sons.
After completing our family literacy program at Blacksburg Public Library last year, Diana enrolled in our volunteer-led English classes and continued working hard to improve her English skills so she can help her children to learn. When the pandemic hit, she didn’t stop learning, and she continued meeting with her English class via Zoom. Recently, she achieved an important goal — she was so excited to be able to successfully communicate, for the first time, during a parent-teacher conference! She could understand and speak with her 4-year old son’s teacher! Her older son said, “Mom, you did really well!” A compliment from your child is the ultimate joyful moment! Diana often included her children in English classes; in fact, Santiago (her oldest son) asked if he could give a thank you speech at our recognition event last year! Diana is so excited about her progress — and about her sons’ learning! Adult literacy students such as Diana know that literacy can change everything! The single greatest indicator of children's success is the literacy level of their parents. With improved literacy, Diana can give the gift of literacy to her sons — and with that gift, they can spread their wings and fly! Keep up the great work, Diana! The sky’s the limit!
Bridge to Digital Learning Initiative Connects Literacy Students with Technology
The Bridge to Digital Learning Initiative connects adult learners and tutors with resources (devices, hotspots and training) for digital learning. LVNRV is accepting donations of used devices to give to adult literacy students so they can connect remotely with instructors to learn basic academic and digital skills and participate in this new virtual world.
PORTABLE DEVICE WISH LIST:
● IPADS, OTHER TABLETS
● LAPTOPS (should be able to run Windows 10)
● CHROMEBOOKS
● MACBOOKS
● Please do not donate devices with cracked screens or that do not hold charge.
● No desktops
HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS FOR PC LAPTOPS
● RAM - 4GB minimum 8GB preferred
● Processor - Intel i3 (or AMD multi core equivalent) minimum
● HDD size - 120 GB or higher
● Operating System - Windows 10 (base edition is sufficient)
● Networking - WiFi ready required
DEVICE DONATION INSTRUCTIONS:
● Please clean your hard drive and sanitize the device.
● Please place the donated device in a plastic bag (sealed if possible).
● If you desire documentation of this in-kind gift, please include your name and mailing address.
● All device donations can be dropped off at LVNRV, 195 West Main Street, in downtown Christiansburg. For contactless drop off, please look for a book slot in the turret of the building (to the left of the door, on the corner.) Please slide the donation into the slot onto the table inside the office.
FINANCIAL DONATIONS:
LVNRV is also accepting financial donations to support the purchase of hotspots and infrastructure to support distance education. To make a donation to support the Bridge to Digital Learning Initiative, please go to www.lvnrv.org or send a check to LVNRV, 195 West Main St., Christiansburg, VA 24073.
Give the Gift of Literacy!
The holidays are coming! Here's an easy way to make a lasting impact -- give the gift of literacy! Check out our Amazon holiday wish list -- and help make dreams come true for our adult literacy students!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/859IWXACF7XY?ref_=wl_share
Growing Our Impact!
Thanks to the amazing support of our volunteers and donors, we are growing our impact. We are excited to report a 20% increase in the number of students served! Even with the pandemic suspension of activities in the spring/summer, we increased the number of adults served from 240 in 2018-19 to 293 in 2019-20 (compared with 167 in 2017-18.) Of the 293 adults served this year, 139 were Basic Literacy
students and 154 were ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students! We congratulate 293 NRV adults on their hard work last fiscal year to learn new literacy skills to achieve work, parenting/family and community goals!
Support Student Business!
When you think about holiday gifting this year, be sure to support one of our students, Yuliett! This entrepreneur made lemonade out of lemons by bouncing back after the stress of a coronavirus-related job loss to start a business creating and selling beautiful hand-made wearable miniature art -- making beautiful jewelry to make people happy makes her happy! With her improved English skills as the result of attending several years of English language instruction with LVNRV, she has been able to communicate with customers and to develop an online store. Customization available, so be sure to contact her to let her know what designs your loved ones will love! Check out Cole_USA on Facebook, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/cole.usa/ and visit her Esty shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/COLEUSASHOP/edit…!
Digi-Tutoring Helps Students Learn Safely During the Pandemic
New COVID-Safe Family Literacy Program!
Check out our Home-Delivery version of Family READS (Reading and English to Achieve Dreams and Success) being launched in Blacksburg in collaboration with the Blacksburg branch of Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library! New COVID-safe program model, same family learning goal -- to help parents to help their children develop literacy skills and be successful in school! For more info, email aabbott@lvnrv.org or call (540) 382-7262.
Invisible Triwizard Trimile Raises $5,000 for Literacy
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE AMAZING WIZARDS, BEASTS AND MUGGLES WHO PARTICIPATED AND SUPPORTED OUR 2020 INVISIBLE TRIWIZARD TRIMILE LITERACY FUNDRAISER!
In 2020, our annual Potter in the Park festivities were placed under a vanishing spell by the forces of darkness, so we offered a virtual Triwizard TriMile challenge event. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, wizards were granted the choice of challenges to complete between Harry’s birthday (July 31) and Hogwarts Move-In Day (Aug. 30):
The Invisibility Cloak Journey: Racers followed their own path through the wizarding world and raced 3 miles their way -- their pace, their space.
The Marauder's Map Quest: Racers ventured into the Forbidden Forest of Bisset Park (Radford) and used a map and clues to complete the 3-mile course, find the 7 hidden Horcruxes to defeat He Who Must Not Be Named, and to solve Tom Riddle’s riddles to decode the secret message.
Congratulations to ALL racers who demonstrated the courage, power, and strength to conquer the Triwizard TriMile Challenges!
We are so very grateful to our incredible event sponsors, whose generous contributions helped us raise more than $5000 in muggle money so we can continue to share the magic of literacy with local adults! What a great accomplishment for a virtual event thanks to the generosity of our awesome community -- especially during this critical time.
THANK YOU so much to the 171 wizards and magical creatures who ventured out from the cupboard under the stairs to participate in the Invisible Triwizard TriMile!
RACE AWARDS
MEDALS FOR THE RACE CHAMPIONS AND AGE GROUP WINNERS WERE GENEROUSLY DONATED BY NEW RIVER ENGRAVING.
A big Harry Hurray for this year’s Triwizard Champions!
IN THE WOMEN’S DIVISION,
OUR CHAMPION IS ADDIE MECOM,
WHO RACED A SPEEDY 25:12:00
IN THE MEN’S DIVISION,
OUR CHAMPION IS ANDERSON NORTON,
WHO RAN A LIGHTNING FAST 17:40:00
We had so many wizards who raced faster than a seeker on a Nimbus 2000.
Here are our age group winners:
AGES 3-5; MALE: BECKETT HAYES, NO FEMALES IN AGE GROUP
6-9; MALE: JAKE HAYES, FEMALE: ANA MORALES
10-12; MALE: ISAAK WISNIOSKI, FEMALE: ISABELL PETRY
13-15;NO MALES IN AGE GROUP: FEMALE: LYDIA KIPP
16-19; MALE: MALCOLM ORRANGE, FEMALE: MADISON ALTIZER
20-29; MALE: ADAN OLIVARES, FEMALE: TAYLOR SINK
30-39; MALE: SALOMON TOVAR, FEMALE: JOCELYN SALDONA
40-49; MALE: PAUL TAYLOR, FEMALE: KIM MECOM
50-59; MALE: JAY ABBOTT, FEMALE: BARBARA LYONS
60-69; MALE: EDWARD LYONS, FEMALE: LYNN HENDERSON
70 AND OLDER. N/A
Congratulations to all our winners
and all our competitors!
A leaderboard of all racers’ submitted times is posted here.
Medals and racer packets (including t-shirt for wizards and bandannas for creatures, lightning bolt tattoo, SPEW button compliments of Radford Public Library, and a handcrafted wand) will be available for pick up or US mail delivery in mid-September. Racers will be notified by owl/email when race packets and race medals are available.
COSTUME CONTEST
This year’s event once again included 3 costume contests -- for youth, adults, and pets.
Thank you all for your creativity and enthusiasm for the costume contest!
Our judges, represented by the public libraries in the NRV, chose the following wizards and magical creatures as winners:
Check out photos of the Costume Contest winners here!
IN THE YOUTH COSTUME CONTEST DIVISION,
OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS ABBY MECOM
OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER IS JO JO & LYRA PICHE_
THIRD PLACE PRIZE GOES TO BECKETT & JAKE HAYES
AND HONORABLE MENTION WAS AWARDED TO _RIGEL GRAYBILL
IN THE ADULT COSTUME CONTEST DIVISION,
OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS LIZ ALTIZER & KATE BRENNAN
OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER IS _THE COLDWELL BANKER TEAM
THIRD PLACE PRIZE GOES TO _DIANNE HALL
AND HONORABLE MENTION WAS AWARDED TO _RHONDA WHALING, GEORGE ROGERS, JAMES AND KIKI MCGRATH, LYNN HENDERSON, AND SARAH BALLARD AND CREW
IN THE PET COSTUME CONTEST DIVISION,
OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS REESE THE AETHONIAN WINGED HORSE
OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER IS MACY HARLAN THE HUFFLEPUP SEEKER
THIRD PLACE PRIZE GOES TO STEFFI LYONS
AND HONORABLE MENTION WAS AWARDED TO RUDI
PHOTO GALERY
WAVING OUR MAGIC WANDS AND USING OUR TIMETURNERS IN THE HOPES WE CAN ALL BE IN PERSON AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR’S EVENT, ALWAYS THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF HOGWARTS!
Be sure to set your remembrall to remind you to join us next year on Aug. 28!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Tutor Training Sept. 14
"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?" – Martin Luther King, Jr.
THE HEART AND SOUL OF LVNRV IS THE DEDICATED CADRE OF VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE UP THEIR TIME, ENERGY, AND EXPERTISE TO HELP ADULTS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION TO DEVELOP LITERACY SKILLS.
Are you interested in helping another adult to improve their skills in reading, writing, basic math, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages,) or basic computer skills, or to prepare for exams such as the GED or U.S. Citizenship Test?
You can make a significant impact by helping adults in our community improve their literacy skills. Volunteer tutors with LVNRV provide one-to-one or small group tutoring in public locations throughout the NRV.
Eligible volunteers:
Can commit to tutoring for one year*
Can meet with your student for 1-3 hours/week
*Note: if you cannot commit to one year of tutoring, please consider our Other Volunteer Opportunities.
NOTE: Until further notice, all tutor training will take place remotely, using Zoom. Similarly, tutoring is taking place virtually or outside (weather permitting) with social distancing or masks.
The pathway to becoming a volunteer tutor:
1. Complete a volunteer application.
2. Register for a tutor training. LVNRV holds quarterly tutor training sessions for adult volunteers interested in helping local adults improve literacy and language skills for increased independence and better employment. In addition to the initial 3-hour initial training, tutors must complete 12 or more hours of online tutor training. (Online onboarding available during pandemic.)
3. Help your community as a tutor! Work one-on-one or with a small group to help an adult learner achieve his/her literacy and language-related goals. Note that you may need to wait some time before you are matched with a student that fits your interests, availability and location preferences and can commit consistently to tutoring.
4. Register for and participate in quarterly tutor meetings. (Online options for tutor meetings during pandemic)
5. Complete quarterly reports documenting your volunteer hours as well as student instructional activities and progress toward the goals on the student's goals checklist. (Quarter 1: October 15th, Quarter 2: January 15th, Quarter 3: April 15th, Quarter 4: July 15th)
6. Complete an end-of-year report by July 15 or an end-of-program report should the student exit the program.
For more information, please call (540) 382-7262.
UPCOMING TUTOR TRAINING SESSIONS:
YES, I can participate in the next tutor training,. Please register here
READ All About It! Exciting GiveLocalNRV News!
WOW! Today we are SPELLabrating the incREADable generosity of our community!
Thanks to more than 70 awesome donors in our amazing NRV community, we exceeded our $5,000 GiveLocalNRV goal ($5,500!) to win a challenge match provided by 2 anonymous donors, which brought our grand total dollars raised yesterday to help local adults learn to read to – drum roll please – $10,500!
THANK YOU to the awesome people who donated, to our enthusiastic supporters and community partners who helped spread the word, to the Community Foundation of the NRV for initiating this incredible day of giving (record-breaking GiveLocalNRV dollars raised by local non-profits yesterday totaled more than $421,000!) and to those of you who give of your time each week as volunteers to change lives through literacy!
We are so very grateful for and inspired by your generosity – especially during these challenging and uncertain times!
The $10,501 raised yesterday will better equip us to play a critical role in individual and community recovery after the pandemic.
THANK YOU so very much for giving the gift of literacy to help local adults unlock the power of literacy!
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Rita . . .
Meet Rita.
Rita came to the U.S. to build a better life for her family. After working hard with an LVNRV tutor to improve her English skills, she passed the U.S. Citizenship exam, got a job, passed the driving exam, and is now able to help her son with his homework! Literacy opens the door to a brighter future!
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Miranda
Meet Miranda.
Miranda has 7 children. She participated in our family literacy program and learned skills to read books with her children. She is excited to be able to talk with her children’s teachers and help her children with homework now! Adult literacy opens the door to children’s literacy. Your support will help adults like Miranda to help their children succeed in school.
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Bob . . .
Meet Bob. Bob started his own successful business despite difficulties with reading and writing. He has always depended on someone else to help him write up and send estimates and invoices -- until now. Bob worked with a tutor to learn literacy and digital skills so that he can independently communicate in writing with his customers! Your support will help local adults like Bob to open the door to self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-sufficiency!
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Mary . . .
Meet Mary.
Mary is the caregiver for her granddaughter while her daughter is at work. Mary attended only a few years of school as a child in her home country. She works with an LVNRV tutor to improve her English so she can help her granddaughter with her homework and read to her. She also wants to increase her English skills so she can get a job and pass the U.S. Citizenship test. Your support will open the door to a whole new world -- for many generations!
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Janet . . .
Meet Janet.
Janet worked with a LVNRV tutor to improve her reading skills. Now she can read her bills, medication instructions, doctor’s directions, and the addresses for doctor’s appointments independently! Your support will create a healthier community!
Our Community Needs Us NOW More Than Ever! Meet Anna . . .
Meet Anna. Anna lost her job as a waitress due to the coronavirus. But she's turning lemons into lemonade by signing up for a tutor to help her prepare for the GED, a goal she hopes will open the door to community college and a new career. Literacy opens the door to a new beginning — it’s time for Anna to write herself a new story!
