The Mission of the Literacy Council of Wood County is helping area adults enhance their quality of life with English literacy skills.
Our primary focus is helping adult learners reach their spoken and written English literacy goals in order to succeed in today’s jobs and employment training programs, manage their daily health care needs, manage their household and personal finances, and understand current events in their community and be responsible citizens.
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Our Mission in Action
“Poster Adults” – You’ve heard of the “Poster Child,” the one exemplifying hard work and determination. We have adult learners demonstrating similar traits, getting past the hurdles life put before them, and working toward earning their GED, completing college courses, retaining, and securing employment. Remind the United Way the importance of adult literacy everywhere.
(Feb. 2013) Marshfield – The Hispanic brother-in-law of a man we matched with a tutor decided to tease the other one about getting help learning English. They are friendly competitors. The teaser insisted he will win! His tutor said they are both “psyched!”
(Jan. 2013) Employment Support – A Wisconsin Rapids area gentleman approached us for help learning to use computers, fearful he’d soon lose his job if he didn’t. We matched him with a skilled computer user and watched his confidence return practically immediately.
- A Hispanic man working for a Marshfield area industrial recycler wants to improve his English, obtain his GED, and complete college. We first met in December 2011. It took him months to decide he wanted to learn English and move on improving his life. It took us a week to match him with a tutor, who will begin in February.
(Dec. 2012) A Venezuelan woman in the Marshfield area wanted to improve her English. With an infant child at home and no driver’s license, she needs to develop literacy skills to drive and communicate in town. We matched her with an experienced tutor.
(Dec. 2012) A Marshfield tutor shared a heartwarming report from the Hispanic woman she used to tutor, and helped complete on-line employment applications. The woman has three young children. The tutor shared that she obtained a job and reported her “kids were going to have a good Christmas.”
(Nov. 2012) A Marshfield area emergency shelter inquired whether we could help one of their Latina residents develop English skills. When we arranged our first meeting, she cancelled at the last moment, indicating she was not interested learning English after all. A few weeks later, someone from the shelter called to explain that the person got confused, and did want our help. We re-scheduled an assessment, and matched her with a Tutor who has been meeting with her regularly.
(Oct. 2012) We had an appointment to meet a Marshfield area Chinese woman at the library last August. She didn’t show; her husband had a medical emergency at the exact time as our meeting. We re-scheduled a week later and the volunteer we had to work with her had a medical emergency of her own. By October, we scheduled another meeting. Everyone met successfully on the third try.</>