VOLUNTEERS FOR LITERACY OF HABERSHAM COUNTY INC
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Mission Statement
The mission of Volunteers for Literacy is to establish and maintain programs that promote and foster literacy in Habersham County, GA.
About This Cause
Volunteers For Literacy works to empower people through literacy so they can lead more productive and fulfilling lives. We do this through three avenues: Read to Succeed, English Language Acquisition and GED Scholarships/Marketing. READ TO SUCCEED Read to Succeed is VFL's early childhood and youth literacy program. We aim projects at providing young people with the tools and training they need to succeed. • ONE BOOK HABERSHAM - All around the country for more than a decade people have been coming together to build community through stories. Habersham County has joined this national movement with One Book Habersham. We invite people throughout Habersham County Georgia to read and share the same picture book. Although COVID-19 has affected this program plans are to continue the program in 2022. • The VFL SCRIPPS SPELLING BEE - VFL sponsors the annual Habersham County Scripps Spelling Bee. The top spellers from Habersham County's eleven elementary and middle schools in grades four through eight compete for a chance to advance to the district, state and national Scripps Spelling Bees. We award trophies to all school winners and runners-up and to the county winner and runner-up. This community-wide event highlights the importance of literacy. • THE VFL BOOK BANK - The VFL Book Bank has a collection of thousands of new and gently-used books that are distributed to children and adults throughout Habersham County. It provides books for 11 Little Free Libraries, the Kiwanis Christmas for Kids Program, and for the Habersham Couny Feed A Friend/Summer Reading Program. The Book Bank has distributed more than 15,000 books since it opened in 2011. • THE DICTIONARY PROJECT - VFL purchases and distributes dictionaries to all third-grade public school students in Habersham County. These personal dictionaries assist students with their schoolwork and language development. Why third graders? Studies show that if a child is not reading on his/her grade level by the third grade, he/she is more likely to fall behind and, eventually drop out of school • LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES VFL joined the national Little Free Library movement in 2013. This national program promotes reading by establishing book distribution points throughout communities worldwide. VFL partnered with the Demorest Downtown Development Authority to build and install Habersham County's first Little Free Libraries at Demorest Park and outside the Demorest Post Office on Grant Street. Volunteer stewards of the libraries ensure the libraries are maintained and well-stocked with books for readers of all ages. Little Free Libraries also are located in Clarkesville's Pitts Park, Cornelia City Park, Baldwin City Park, Level Grove Elementary School, Mt Airy City Hall, Alto City Park, Tallulah Falls City Hall, Habersham County Health Department and at The Orchard subdivision. We ask that patrons TAKE A BOOK, LEAVE A BOOK...AND ENJOY HABERSHAM COUNTY'S LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES. • SUMMER READING PROGRAM: VFL partners with Habersham School’s Feed A Friend program and provides books during the summer for children and teens in the program to read. At the end of the program, each child can choose five books to take as their own. VFL also helps with summer reading programs for children in low-income housing areas. ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE/ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION VFL strongly encourages immigrant education and social integration through its English Language Acquisition (formerly ESL) program. • VFL ELA students meet three times a week, Tuesday through Thursday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Evening Classes meet on Tuesday and Thursday from 7 – 8 pm. This program provides intensive language study for English speakers at all levels. Students can advance through basic, intermediate and advanced courses at their own pace. The Ventures Language study curriculum from Cambridge Press is used in this program. VFL ELA is open to all immigrant residents of Habersham County seeking to learn and improve their English language skills. VFL ELA is provided by VFL in partnership with First Baptist Church of Cornelia and North Georgia Technical College. Lack of transportation and childcare are huge barriers for many who want to learn English and improve their lives, so VFL offers both. In addition, Pre-School Readiness classes for children of students are provided for daytime classes. • LiFT UNIVERSITY LiFT(Learning for Tomorrow) University is an English language/civics course taught Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. at Cornelia Elementary School. Students are taught basic language skills and civics lessons aimed at helping them communicate with their children's teachers and school administrators and navigate through the local school system. LiFT University is provided by VFL in partnership with the Habersham County United Way. Free childcare and English lessons for children are provided. Classes are offered to all adult immigrant residents of Habersham County. • North Georgia Technical College is dedicated to providing for the language needs of bilingual students through the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Language learners range widely, from very limited skills to moderate ability to extended fluency. Therefore, the college offers ESL classes at three levels—Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. ESL classes are offered at the NGTC Adult Education Center in Cornelia and Cornelia First Baptist Church. • Beginning ESL provides instruction in conversational English, in life-coping skills, and beginning basic reading and writing. • Intermediate ESL provides continued development of conversational English in life-coping skills. This level will improve the student’s speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. • Advanced ESL provides instruction in grammar and usage, and effective speaking and writing in English. • Classes are offered at First Baptist Church, 325 Oak Street, Cornelia, GA 30531. • For more information about these classes, call Christy Gosnell at (706) 754-7717. • NGTC ELA GED SCHOLARSHIPS/MARKETING VFL strives to promote the economic health and well-being of Habersham County and its residents by encouraging high school dropouts to get their General Equivalency Diplomas. VFL offers scholarships to eligible adults for GED testing. Beginning in 2021 VFL will work with NGTC and the Georgia Certified Literate Community Program to market GED classes to individuals without a high school diploma or GED in the Habersham community.