Thanks to the generosity of the ministry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Wisconsin Rapids, we relocated (hopefully for the last time) to the lower level of the church. Our entrance is the RED DOOR on Oak St., practically kitty-korner from the United Way.

“This is such an ideal site,” said Stephen Carlton, LCWC’s executive director. “We have a wireless classroom, a huge space for our office, and a captive audience upstairs when The Neighborhood Table (TNT) serves its free community meals six times each month.”

“We already have the Health Literacy series planning to run its programs at TNT meals this spring and fall,” Carlton said. A partnership with the YMCA will provide program participants transportation to and from the YMCA, and free facility usage.

Although we are often in the office more than we advertise, our established hours are currently 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We’ll also meet for specific appointments. We tend to spend many Wednesdays in the Marshfield area.

“It’s an ideal location,” Carlton said, explaining the proximity to downtown Wisconsin Rapids, the library, the community foundation, Hotel Mead, and many eateries.

Carlton said some 2013 goals include establishing some LCWC classes in the basement classroom, such as Math, ELL & Civics, Health Literacy, and Computer Literacy.

A grant awarded last summer for life and employment literacy skills by the Incourage Community Foundation continues returning dividends throughout south Wood County communities. In addition to helping purchase several new reading and math workbooks for LCWC’s adult learners, the grant helps provide multi-session programs in budgeting, computer and health literacy, and English Language Learning & Civics (ELL).

The grant provided for 8-week-long computer literacy sessions, the second of which began last month in Nekoosa. An earlier session ran last fall in Vesper.

An ELL program began last fall at Grove Elementary School, and will resume at The Family Center later this month.

The 6-week Health Literacy series ran in Nekoosa last fall, and will run again in Wisconsin Rapids this winter and spring.

“Our Health Literacy series is really evolving, ” said Stephen Carlton, LCWC’s executive director. The program is also supported with a grant from the Riverview Healthcare Foundation, and includes collaborations with UW-Stevens Point (UWSP), The Neighborhood Table (TNT), the YMCA of South Wood County, and River City Cab.

“We’re pursuing more funding to be able to expand it through a wider area of central Wisconsin,” Carlton said.

UWSP Health Science majors develop materials and make presentations at TNT meals. The Riverview Healthcare grant provides transportation with the cab mini-buses to shuttle interested participants to the YMCA to use the facility for free for a couple of hours each night. Participants who participate at the YMCA at least five times will also receive a complimentary program pass for future use or a campership for a child to attend Camp Alexander.