Since 1991 Friends of Literacy has been the voice of the illiterate.

Friends of Literacy is:

• Private (not government operated)
• Independent (not part of a school system)
• Not-for-Profit
• Local (Serving only Knox County)
• Governed by a volunteer board of local corporate and community leaders
• Is supported by members (individual and corporate donations)
• Supported by local, regional, state, and national foundations and granting agencies
• We support programs that offer year-round daytime and evening adult education classes.

Our Goal: To provide funding and volunteers that support basic education and life-skill training to adult students, helping them to become better workers, parents, and citizens.

What is Literacy? “Literacy means an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak English, and to compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals and develop one’s knowledge and potential.” – National Literacy Act 1991

Benefits of Literacy:

• Better job opportunities, increased earnings
• Educational advancement
• Decreases intergenerational cycle of poverty
• Raises workforce effectiveness
• Increases civic participation

• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement: To eradicate illiteracy in Knox County.
• Core Values
• History
• Staff Members
• Definition Of Literacy
• National Literacy Quick Facts
• Local Literacy Quick Facts
• The Problem
• The Challenge
• Results Of Our Work