Friends of Literacy

Purchase tickets today for the 7th Annual East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame!

Friends of Literacy — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:40:00 +0000

The 7th Annual East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame will take place Thursday, September 23, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Knoxville. The event begins at 7 p.m., and our special guest speaker is writer and director Michael Minor, who is best known for creating “Robocop,” which won the 1987 Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Screenplay.

This years inductees into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame are Loletta Clouse for Fiction, Edward Francisco for poetry, Alex Haley for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Cynthia Moxley for Social Media, and Bruce Wheeler for non-fiction. Past Hall of Fame inductees include Cormac McCarthy, Mary Bozeman Hodges, Nikki Giovanni, Marilyn Kallet, Jon Jefferson, Ina Hughes, Carson Brewer, James Agee, Sam Venable, Wilma Dykeman and Jack Neely.

If you would like to purchase tickets, please call Friends of Literacy at (865) 594-1507. We take both Visa and Master Card, or you may choose to mail a check to 101 E. Fifth Ave, Suite 217, Knoxville, TN 37917. Or you may purchase your ticket online by using the “Buy Now” PayPal button below. (Please note that a $3 handling fee has been added to the price of tickets purchased via PayPal.)

The mission of Friends of Literacy is to support the delivery of free high quality literacy programs and related services to adults in Knox County who are inadequately educated to meet the challenges of daily life. Working in partnership with area literacy organizations, our goal is to help provide basic education and life-skill training so that our students become better workers, parents, and citizens. Our community outreach includes student recruitment, referral, and advocacy, as well as recruitment and training of volunteer tutors.

Click here to download the 2010 Hall of Fame flyer.

Click the “Buy Now” button to purchase an individual ticket to the 2010 East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame.

Welcome New Board Members!

Friends of Literacy — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:37:34 +0000

Friends of Literacy would like to welcome eleven new members to the board. This is a very enthusiastic group, and we think they will bring much success to the organization! Thank you all!

(From top left: Denae D’Arcy, Marlene O’Hanlon, Allen Koch, Lori Ann Myers, Candance Reaves, Kimberly McFall. From bottom left: Malinda Wood, Lauren Davis, Kem ManTooth, Jackie Wilson)

Volunteer Coordinator Charlie Morgan makes appearance on Aha.com

Friends of Literacy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:58:16 +0000

Friends of Literacy’s volunteer coordinator, Charlie Morgan, is now on Aha.com. To view her video, follow the link! The website is choosing the top 75 Aha moments and then creating a commercial to be aired for all to see. Congratulations Charlie, and thank you for sharing your story!

http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/14609

Friends of Literacy Wins State Literacy Award

Friends of Literacy — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:33:39 +0000

FOL is this year’s winner of the Award for Excellence in Adult Literacy for the Learn Now Program. This award is presented annually by the Tennessee Literacy Coalition to an organization whose program best demonstrates achievement in serving adult learners through a variety of effective methods. FOL is recognized for its outstanding efforts to understand and respect the unique needs of financially challenged adults learners.

The Learn Now Program is made possible by the Clayton Family Foundation, Scripps Howard Foundation, Aslan Foundation, United Way of Greater Knoxville, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and an anonymous donation.

Friends of Literacy Receives $2,100 from OMNI Women’s Club

Friends of Literacy — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:19:05 +0000

The OMNI Women’s Club met at Fox Den Country Club on May 20, 2010, for their Annual Benefit-Bridge and Fashion Show. The event was extremely successful with $4,200.00 being raised for this year’s recipients to share. The two organizations selected for the altruistic project were: Interfaith Health Care Clinic and Friends of Literacy. In the photo are: L – R. Jane Toland, Benefit Chair, Lauren Purcell, Friends of Literacy, “Sam” Wyrosdick, OMNI President, Kelly Mainor, Interfaith Health Care Clinic, and Jane Jones, Chair for the Silent Auction.

2010 Looks for Literacy: Event Photos!

Friends of Literacy — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:51:13 +0000

Thanks to everyone who came out to our 2010 Looks for Literacy fashion and show luncheon! The event, which was held at the Knoxville Museum of Art, was a great success. Be sure to check out photos in the slideshow below. You can also view photos on our Facebook page!

Event Photography | Friends of Literacy | Looks for Literacy 2010 – Images by Lia Ballentine

Make A Difference in the Lives of Our Students

Friends of Literacy — Sun, 30 May 2010 02:53:01 +0000

You can support second chances and make a difference in the lives of our students! Even the smallest donation can help provide our students with the materials to help them achieve their goals.

It’s easy to support Friends of Literacy. Join us at any of our events throughout the year, sign up to volunteer as a class aide or tutor, or make a donation online or by mail.

There are many ways you can help! Learn more by watching our video!

Friends of Literacy from Lia Ballentine on Vimeo.

Economy Spurs Demand For Literacy Programs

Friends of Literacy — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:03:01 +0000

Economy Spurs Demand For Literacy Programs by Matt Shafer Powell
May 11, 2009

Since the recession began in December 2007, more than 5 million jobs have been lost.

Callers are inundating literacy agencies because they realize they can’t compete in this difficult job market without a GED. At the same time, many of those callers are forced to recognize and admit their inability to read simple documents, including a job application.

Matt Shafer Powell reports for member station WUOT in Knoxville, Tenn.

Click here to listen to the story on NPR.

David Baldacci – Author Spotlight

Friends of Literacy — Mon, 24 May 2010 22:07:37 +0000

Bestselling author David Baldacci will speak at the B97.5 Author Spotlight Event on Wednesday, May 26, to benefit Friends of Literacy. The event will be held at the new Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are only $10! Purchase them at www.b975.com or at the door. Hope to see you there!

Volunteer Information

Friends of Literacy — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:54:45 +0000

VOLUNTEERS
Friends of Literacy welcomes volunteers from throughout the community. Individuals donate their time tutoring adults, as well as helping out in program education offices, the Friends office, and with special events and projects. Tutors help adult learners master reading, math and language skills, and can also work with English language learners, in four different adult education programs in Knox County.

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
The complete orientation and training program is 10 hours broken into three 3.5 hour evening sessions. Anyone wishing to work directly with adult students must complete the entire program and make a $15 donation at the first class to cover training expenses. Volunteers who only plan to work in the office or with special events and projects must complete at least the first 3.5 hour session.

Our first class to complete the new volunteer training

Volunteer Orientation and Training is generally held three to four times a year. Anyone who fills out an application will be placed on the notification list for the next session and will receive messages about the dates, times, and location as soon as those are firm. The next sessions are scheduled for August and November 2009.

Training includes background about Friends of Literacy, adult learners, and effective tutoring skills. Learning skills and basic academic skills are also reviewed.