How two nonprofits are helping moms improve literacy

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: Two local nonprofits – REACH Literacy and the Hope Coalition, which helps provide preschool for kids whose families couldn't otherwise afford it – are working together to help moms improve their literacy.

Why it matters

  • Learning English is tough as an adult, especially if you're picking it up as a second (or third, etc.) language, as is the case with many folks helped by REACH, a nonprofit focused on providing literacy instruction for adults.
  • The goal of the partnership is to remove barriers for these women, which is accomplished in part by the Hope Coalition providing childcare during literacy lessons.
  • It's also a way to hit on two early predictors of kids' success: going to preschool, and having a mom that reads to you, said Paige Carda, director of REACH Literacy.
"If we can have your kids taken care of, we can put you in a supportive environment where you feel like your needs are being met, too ... and you can learn along the way," Carda said.

How these groups came together

Both nonprofits acknowledge the partnership is a natural one.

Many families who use preschool services through the Hope Coalition speak English as a second language, Executive Director Amy Benda said.

On the literacy side, Carda said women, in particular, are harder to attract to REACH's services because they often have the barriers of taking care of children or just in general feel intimidated to show up to a class.

The nonprofits' pilot program starting in October helped eight women at Central Church downtown.  

What happens next?

Growth.

Carda said they're looking to hire at least one part-time teacher, maybe two, to help expand their literary outreach-plus-childcare combination to two more locations by January 2022.

How can I help?

There are a few ways to support this effort to help moms improve literacy, including:

  • Donate money to the nonprofits
  • Volunteer as a tutor
  • Donate tech (or money to purchase it) like headsets or devices to help the work on literacy curriculum continue at home.