Press Releases

2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

Literacy News

November 2010

LLC HONORED AT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GALA

Loudoun Literacy Council's contributions to the community were recognized at the Loudoun Chamber Gala on November 4. LLC was chosen as a finalist for non-profit of the year.

September 2010

FALL FOR READING

The second annual Fall for Reading held September 12th at Rust Library, was a great success. Special thanks to Verizon, sponsor of the event and to all of those who came out to the festival in support of reading together as a family! more »

June 2010

VERIZON SUPPORTS LOUDOUN LITERACY COUNCIL AND OUR FALL FAMILY EVENT

Verizon recently donated $15,000 to the Loudoun Literacy Council in support of two events. Verizon was a supporter of the Corporate Spelling Bee, held in April 2010, and will be the premier sponsor for the Second Annual Fall Family Event on September 12, 2010. This event once again will be held at Rust Library in Leesburg. Last year over 200 children and parents participated in a variety of literacy themed activities, including dramatic storytelling, arts and crafts, and meet the authors. We anticipate even greater participation this year. We are thrilled that Verizon shares our commitment to the community and helps us provide a day of literacy for families to enjoy together. This reinforces the importance of family involvement in the development of reading and academic readiness skills. Thank you Verizon!

VOLUNTEERS HONORED FOR HELPING TO BRING THREE DECADES OF LITERACY SERVICES TO LOUDOUN COUNTY

Loudoun Literacy Council (LLC) recently celebrated 30 years of volunteer service with an awards ceremony to recognize individuals who have been or are current volunteers of LLC since its inception in 1980.

The 30-year milestone was commemorated on Monday, June 14th, in Leesburg, VA, with a reception for past and present volunteers and community leaders. The event, hosted by TD Bank, was an opportunity for Loudoun Literacy Council to recognize some of their most committed volunteers from the last 30 years.

Special honored guest, Marie Twitchell, was one of the founding members of the Loudoun Literacy Council. Mrs. Twitchell recalled that in 1980, there were many immigrants moving into the county who could not speak English. She and a friend enlisted the support of their churches to provide reading materials, so that they could start teaching English classes. “We started small and just kept growing and growing,” said Mrs. Twitchell. “Everybody just kind of gave what they could. We worked with an all volunteer staff. Nobody was paid until 5 or 6, 7 years down the road. Then we had a director that kind of coordinated everything. We were so busy teaching English to speakers of other languages that we didn't have time to do a lot of administrative things.”

“The dedicated Loudoun Literacy volunteers who have committed their time and talents play a vital role in achieving LLC’s mission of improving English language skills for adults, children, and families who live or work in Loudoun County,” said Candace Kroehl, Executive Director. “More than 11,000 Loudoun residents have inadequate literacy skills. Our volunteers are helping us to bring much-needed literacy skills to those in the community who need them most.”

In addition to Mrs. Twitchell, several other past employees and volunteers were recognized for their past and present efforts. Among those were Debra Howe, formerly the Adult Literacy Director and still very active as an Adult Literacy volunteer trainer, Lori Kruse, a volunteer instructor and trainer, and Sean Jordan, a volunteer instructor. Loudoun Literacy Council also is grateful for the contributions of former board members, Deborah West and Claire Allinson, and former Executive Director and former board member Barbara Notar.

The Loudoun Literacy Council is a community-based organization which helps low-literate adults and children from disadvantaged families learn to speak, read, and write English. The LLC trains community volunteers to teach GED, adult basic literacy, and ESL in classroom settings and as individual tutors. Its trained staff provides family literacy programs for children from low-income homes and those living in homeless shelters. www.loudounliteracy.org.

March 2010

NEW ADULT LITERACY DIRECTOR, TANYA BITTENBENDER, JOINS STAFF

Writer, publicist, and Loudoun Literacy ESOL teacher, Tanya Bittenbender, has come on staff at the LLC. She replaces Marnie Montgomery who has left to join her husband at the University of Toronto.

January 2010

ALLEGRA AWARDS "FOOTPRINT" GRANT TO LOUDOUN LITERACY COUNCIL

LLC Executive Director, Candace Kroehl (second from right receives check for $1000 in printing services from Allegra Print and Imaging. The Chantilly firm selected Loudoun Literacy Council as an award recipient in their first annual FootPRINT grant season.