My Nonprofit Reviews

I first met Dr. Lester Meriwether in 2005 when he joined the Board of Directors of Literacy Texas. I was fortunate to serve on that board with him, get to know him, and to learn about Literacy ConneXus. Dr. Meriwether and his team of volunteers from around the state have worked to bring professional development to volunteer tutors eager to learn how to teach individuals with limited English skills. The curriculum –TEX (Teaching English with Excellence) - developed by a Literacy ConneXus volunteer, is a tremendous asset used to train volunteers who often have no teaching background. These volunteers have a heart for service and being trained in the use of TEX means they enter a tutoring situation with confidence in their ability to help adults learn English. The Literacy ConneXus project that touches my heart most is Books for the Border and Beyond. Providing families with children books and bookcases to begin a home library is an amazing way to teach parents and children about the importance of early literacy. I hold Dr. Meriwether and his team of volunteers in the highest regard and am pleased to recommend Literacy ConneXus as an organization to support through volunteer efforts and financially.

I am one of the founders of the Adult Reading Center and have been continuously involved with the Center for the past 25 years. From a launch in 1987 with 3 learner/tutor pairs, the Adult Reading Center has achieved steady, managed growth over the last 25 years to 4 full-time and 5 part-time staff, 11 part-time instructors, and over 200 volunteers assisting over 900 adult learners each year. With the following key initiatives, the Adult Reading Center is an economic incubator and a complete service center using a comprehensive approach that will take adult learners from learning to read, write and speak English to obtaining a GED and a job earning a living wage while becoming contributing members of our community: Adult Basic Education, GED, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Citizenship Classes, Family Literacy, Computer Learning Lab, and Workforce Education and Job Soft Skills Training. Jorge, an adult learner, said it best, “Some people walk by [the Center] and think it’s just a house…you can’t tell what it is. But this place changes lives. It’s changed mine.”

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