I’ve spent a considerable chunk time in my life volunteering for various Charlottesville-area non-profits. Thousands of hours, easily. The volunteer work has almost always been fun and done selfishly — because I like to play with kids, repair computers, light shows, run sound, program, etc. Even the hard work has been done because, given my line of work, it’s damned near recreation to spend a few hours doing some honest work under the hot sun on the odd weekend.
But there’s one type of volunteering that I have really meant to do for many years now, and that’s working with a literacy organization. I haven’t done it partially because it’s off the beaten path (I don’t know anybody in the area who works for such an organization), and partially because it seems like a pretty serious commitment to teach somebody to read. Volunteering for a three-week run of a play is no biggie; volunteering for a one-year program to get an adult up to speed on literacy is a great responsibility. This has been next on my hypothetical to-do list for a long time.
So it’s with great interest and moderate guilt that I both note and support Ross Catrow’s blog-based fundraiser for the Virginia Literacy Foundation. The VLF works with both public and private literacy organizations throughout the state to provide literacy education to adults that read on an elementary school level.
The Richmond blogging community is fundraising for the Virginia Literacy Foundation throughout the Christmas season. And while I may hope to never, ever have to live in Richmond, I see no reason why bloggers throughout the state can’t support this effort.
I’d be flattered if you’d make a contribution to VLF. I intend to contribute $25 to the organization — not much, but it’s what I can do — and I intend to commit really and truly to putting some personal time towards reducing adult illiteracy by working with an affiliated group.
Will you contribute today?
Happy Holidays, Waldo. :)
Hey, did Cari from “Drunk on Democracy” drop off the face of the planet or something? ;) I miss her posts… I guess exam time is upon us, heh…
I too have harbored such thoughts. But the awesome responsibilty has caused be to shrink back from making the commitment. I applaud those that have both the time and patience to work with adult reading students. While I don’t currently have the time, I would like to think I have the patience.
OK, Waldo, you’ve convinced me. A 100 dollar donation will go out in tomorrow’s mail. Would it be too cheesy or too “NPR” of me to challenge my fellow conservative bloggers to match my donation?
To those who, for whatever reason, are uneasy making an online donation, the address is;
The Virginia Literacy Foundation
413 Stuart Circle, Executive Suite 130
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Alton, $100? Wow, that’s a big chunk of change — that’s awfully magnanimous of you. I think it would be marvelous if you challenged conservative bloggers to match your contribution. If a few folks took you up on that, this might be quite a successful little fundraiser.
Waldo, the more we encourage literacy and logical reasoning, the more we encourage conservative thought. Right? ;)
Hey, whatever motivates you. ;)
I try to not be pigeon-holed by conservative/liberal labels and trend much more libertarian.
Either way, I’ll match Waldo’s $25.
–Jim
Awesome! Thanks, Jim.
You guys are great — and slightly hilarious ; )
Here’s a little fuel for the political fire — my mother-in-law is a D.Ed. in adult education and works in the field of adult literacy. My wife currently works for a government funded agency that provides educational services for those in homeless shelters and also provides literacy services through a federal program called Even Start. My wife tells me that Even Start was the baby of Barbara Bush when she was first lady, and a cursory google search shows that her foundation still supports Even Start programs. However, Dubya opposes Even Start and the White House has zeroed it out of the federal budget. Congress is arguing over whether or not to fund it and at what level, but it seems ironic to me that Dubya is trying to kill his Mom’s pet program.
Regardless, as someone married into a family that is involved in providing literacy services to those who need them — thanks for choosing to donate to this worthy cause.