THE BEACON Literacy NJ - Monmouth County A ProLiteracy America Affiliate AUTUMN 2019 LETTER FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR Dear Literacy tutors, students, friends and supporters, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Program Director for Literacy NJ of Monmouth County (formerly known as Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County). We recently merged with our state agency, Literacy NJ, so we are poised to grow and expand our program. I realize I have big shoes to fill after the retirement of beloved Executive Director Becky Lucas, but I am ready for the challenge. For the past 25 years, I have worked in the non-profit arena, primarily in fundraising. I was born in Latvia and immigrated to the United States when I was six years old. I also speak Russian and Spanish and have a master’s degree in international relations. Last year, I decided to make a career change and got my TESOL (teaching English as a second language) certificate and taught an ESL class for four months at Brookdale Community College. When I heard that Becky was retiring, I ran into her office to inquire about the job. When I heard I got it, I was thrilled because I love languages and working with the international community and I also enjoy organizing programs and community events. Recently, I started teaching a Citizenship class with tutor Paul Georgiou and this experience has been extremely rewarding. Reviewing US history and civics is enlightening and a great refresher for me and Paul as well as the students. Having to memorize 100 questions and learn American history in 10 weeks is daunting for an average American, let alone an immigrant who does not have the mastery of our language. Over the last few months, I have been observing tutor trainings and some of the 20 ESL conversational groups currently running and meeting the tutors. I have been blown away by the expertise and dedication of four tutors and the commitment from our students. It’s not easy to learn a new language as an adult and especially a language as difficult as English. It is also not easy to tutor a complete beginner and the patience and dedication exhibited by our tutors is remarkable. I am also fortunate to work with an amazing team consisting of Nicole Quinn, our ESL Specialist; Susan George, Basic Literacy Specialist; and Shubha Murti, our LACES database specialist who has been (Continues on Page 2)
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THE BEACONLiteracy NJ - Monmouth County
A ProLiteracy America Affiliate
AUTUMN 2019
LETTER FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTORDear Literacy tutors, students, friends and supporters,
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Program Director for Literacy NJ ofMonmouth County (formerly known as Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County). We recently mergedwith our state agency, Literacy NJ, so we are poised to grow and expand our program.I realize I have big shoes to fill after the retirement of beloved Executive Director Becky Lucas, but I amready for the challenge.
For the past 25 years, I have worked in the non-profit arena, primarily in fundraising. I was born in Latvia and immigrated to the United States when I was six years old. I also speak Russian and Spanish and have a master’s degree in international relations.
Last year, I decided to make a career change and got my TESOL (teaching English as a second language)certificate and taught an ESL class for four months at Brookdale Community College. When I heard thatBecky was retiring, I ran into her office to inquire about the job. When I heard I got it, I was thrilledbecause I love languages and working with the international community and I also enjoy organizingprograms and community events.
Recently, I started teaching a Citizenship class with tutor Paul Georgiou and this experience has beenextremely rewarding. Reviewing US history and civics is enlightening and a great refresher for me and Paul as well as the students. Having to memorize 100 questions and learn American history in 10 weeks is daunting for an average American, let alone an immigrant who does not have the mastery of ourlanguage.
Over the last few months, I have been observing tutor trainings and some of the 20 ESL conversational groups currently running and meeting the tutors. I have been blown away by the expertise and dedication of four tutors and the commitment from our students.It’s not easy to learn a new language as an adult and especially a language as difficult as English. It is also not easy to tutor a complete beginner and the patience and dedication exhibited by our tutors is remarkable.
I am also fortunate to work with an amazing team consisting of Nicole Quinn, our ESL Specialist; SusanGeorge, Basic Literacy Specialist; and Shubha Murti, our LACES database specialist who has been
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LETTER FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
THE MERGER
volunteering her time with our agency for over 10 years. Together, we are working to enhance and growour program to make Monmouth County No 1!
Please feel free to reach out to me at 732.571.0209 or [email protected] if you have any questions orsuggestions.
I look forward to meeting and getting to know many of you in the months to come.
Sincerely,
Jhanna Even
On July 1, 2019 Literacy Volunteers of America – Monmouth County ceased to exit as an independent 501 c 3 not-for-profit organization with the State of New Jersey. Our organization merged with Literacy New Jersey (our state organization) to become Literacy NJ – Monmouth County, one of eight programs under their umbrella. The Board of Directors felt that it was time to merge with LNJ in order to continue growing our programs and increasing our capacity to offer different programs and raise additional income as a program rather than as an affiliate.
Many, many thanks for all of the time and support that board members Chris Vecere, Manny Alvarez, Tom White, Ted Nappi, Bill Boglioli, Joan Fishman, David Kuykendall, Shubha Murti, Carol Roche and Lynn Spector gave to LVA -Monmouth over the past years! Your support in all ways was greatly appreciated.
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“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”
- Jim Rohn
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SAVE THE DATESWinter Tutor Training
Our 2020 Winter Tutor Training will be held on Saturdays from January 11- February 22, 2020 from 9:30 to 12:30 at the First United Methodist Church in Freehold. If you know an adult who is interested in becoming a volunteer tutor for LNJ-Monmouth please have them contact the office to register. Amy DiFilippo, certified tutor trainer, will be leading this training. Space is limited to 15 trainees.
Holiday Roundtable
Active tutors should save the date for our annual Holiday Roundtable with festive food prepared by staff and tutor workshops presented by tutor trainers Amy DiFilippo, David Kuykendall, Carol Salomon and Gale Lackner. This event will take place on Saturday, December 7th from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Long Branch Library. Please let the office know if you plan to attend and note the new location.
Barnes & Noble Bookstore at the Monmouth Mall, Eatontown, NJ.
Save Sunday, December 1st for your holiday book shopping as we will once again be recruiting volunteer tutors during our book fair at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Monmouth Mall. If you plan to purchase books during the holidays please bring your voucher for your purchases or you can use the voucher for on-line purchases (December 1– 5). LNJ-Monmouth will receive a small percentage on purchases made on those days. We will hope to have many adults sign up for tutor training information.
In January, we will also be offering U.S. Citizenship & Civics Preparation classes at the Red Bank Public Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:30 pm beginning January 14th. Classes will be twice a week. For additional information or to register for either the Red Bank or Long Branch classes please contact the office at 732-571-0209.
U.S. Citizenship Preparation Classes
Tutors Frank Dorsi and Irene Passmore at last year’s Barnes and Noble Gift Wrapping
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WELCOME NEW TUTORS
AUTUMN 2018 Tutor Training #1
WINTER 2019 Tutor Training
AUTUMN 2019 Tutor Training #1
AUTUMN 2018 Tutor Training #2
SUMMER 2019 Tutor Training
AUTUMN 2019 Tutor Training #2
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The following U.S. Citizenship & Civics students from January-June 2019 passed their Naturalization Test and have been sworn in as U.S. Citizens: Edelves Santana, Meyre Sagicoglu, Alfredo Sanches, Livia Bonilla, Teresa Varela-Luis, Rossy Bruno, Ana Verastegui, Ayse Yilmaz, Brenda Lemus, Brian Kavanaugh.
On Wednesday, October 2, 2019 tutors participated in a workshop presented by tutors Susan O’Connor & Laura Mann on “How to Form a Reading Group”. Susan and Laura offer a Friday morning reading group to the higher-level students from their Freehold ESL group. Tutors were also introduced to the new LNJ-Monmouth Program Director Jhanna Even, who was hired in August.
GARDEN STATE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ASSOCIATION AWARD
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“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
- Fran LebowitzCharles William Eliot
Literacy NJ – Monmouth County received an award from GSETA at their 2019 Conference for providing tutors to clients of the Monmouth County Division of Workforce Development. We are proud of our partnership with Workforce Development in helping their clients improve their literacy skills and prepare them for work.
PAST EVENTSWELCOME NEW U.S. CITIZENS TUTOR TRAININGS
MONMOUTH PARK CHARITY FOUNDATION
TUTOR ROUNDTABLE AND MEET & GREET
We held 5 tutor trainings during our 2018-19. Thanks to the efforts of our Certified Tutor Trainers: Amy DiFilippo, David Kuykendall, Carol Salomon, and Gale Lackner, we have added to 37 new tutors to our roster from July 2018-June 2019 and all but two are currently tutoring. For this fiscal year we have already trained 6 new tutors at our Au-tumn Tutor Training #1 and we currently have 7 trainees taking our Autumn Tutor Training #2.
We are the recipients of a $4,000 grant from the Monmouth Park Charity Foundation which was awarded at their annual November Tea. This grant will fund our tutor trainings and provide books and materials for this fiscal year.
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On May 31st we held our Annual Recognition Dinner for tutors, students and volunteers at the First United Methodist Church. Ninety attendees enjoyed dinner prepared by Aiello’s Market & Catering and supplemented with dishes from staff and volunteers.
Many thanks to tutor Chris Bremseth for organizing this dinner and for those who volunteered their time to help prepare and serve the food. The 2019 Basic Literacy Student and Tutor of the Year Awards were given to student Ingrid Mendez and her tutor, Carol Salomon. The 2019 ESL Student and Tutor of the Year Awards were given to students Gladys Morocho and Juan Contreras and tutor, Marianne Ranieri, from the St. Rose ESL group. 2019 Volunteer of the Year Awards were given to two men, Kim Davis, who has taken our event photographs for many years, and Joe DiGianni, who has volunteered at our annual fundraising dinners and our annual recognition event.
On April 27th, nine LV Monmouth tutors and one student participated in Literacy New Jersey’s 2019 Literacy for Life Conference that was held at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. Guest speakers included former students Israel Antoine and Faleeha Hassan. Award winners included Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley who received the 2019 Alice M. Lepert Award for Outstanding Affiliate Achievement; Elidema Mireles of Literacy Volunteers of Cape Atlantic who received the 2019 Award for Volunteer Excellence, and Gloria Orjuela or LVA Essex-Passaic Counties who received the 2019 Student Excellence Award.
In April, tutors Danielle Bellavance, Gail Kass, Deb Schmidt and Gale Lackner participated in the Eastern Branch Library’s Volunteer Fair as recruiters for adults who were interested in becoming volunteer tutors. In May, tutors Rob Fischer and Kathy Cofield participated in the Middletown Public Library’s Volunteer Fair as recruiters for more volunteer tutors.
We were notified in June of 2019 that we were the recipient of a Good Neighbor Grant from the Ocean First Bank Foundation in the amount of $2,884. This grant will go toward providing books and materials to our ESL group at the Amerigo A. Anastacia Elementary School in Long Branch where we offer English classes to the parents of the elementary school children that attend this school.
We are the recipient of a National Book Fund grant from Proliteracy’s New Readers Press for books to be used in our Amerigo A. Anastacia ESL group. This grant was for books only.
CHRISTI PEARCEMEET OUR STUDENTS AND TUTORSPAST EVENTS2019 ANNUAL RECOGNITION DINNER
LITERACY FOR LIFE CONFERENCE
VOLUNTEER FAIRS
OCEAN FIRST FOUNDATION
NATIONAL BOOK FUND GRANT
Tutors Danielle Bellavance and Gail Kass
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PAST EVENTSLITERACY FOR ALL- 2019 ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
Some of the LNJ Board & LV Monmouth Board President; LNJ received the 2019 Literacy Education Excellence Award Student Speaker Denise Jordan
Our 2019 annual fundraising dinner, Literacy for All, was held on May 3. Honorees at this event included Literacy New Jersey who received the Literacy Education Excel-lence Award, St. Rose of Belmar ESL Tutor Suzanne Peters, who received the 2019 Literacy Champion Award and LV Monmouth Director Rebecca Lucas, who received the 2019 Literacy Advocate Award. One hundred thirty-nine, tutors, students, and friends of literacy participated in this event which raised $28,000 for our organization!
Many thanks to all of our tutors and students who attend-ed along with our friends of literacy. Thanks, too, to the fundraising committee: Marilyn Broege, Patty Hamilton, Sherwin Klass, Susan Kuykendall, Janine Lamm-Roy, Kathy McErlean, Paula Metz, Laina Minervino, Julie Richards, Bethany Selage, Lynn Spector and Chris Stout for the great job they did organizing this event.
Tutor Suzanne Peters (on the right) who received the 2019 Literacy Champion Award pictured here with Rebecca Lucas, Director, who received the 2019 Literacy Advocate Award.
Event Committee: Pattty Hamilton, Laina Minervino, Marilyn Broege. Paula Metz, Chris Stout, Becky Lucas, Kathy McErlean, Lynn Spector, Janine Lamm-Roy, Julie Richards
for continuing to provide great service and printing The Beacon at a discount.
Berisford F., student of tutor Danielle Bellavance, passed the Naturalization Test on October 18th and was sworn in as a new U.S. Citizen.
Brian M., student of tutor Ray Maxwell, passed his Commercial Driver’s License test and received his CDL license. He has obtained a job in Newark as a truck driver.
CONGRATULATIONS
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”
– Garrison Keillor
“That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.”
