You helped change Cesia’s life. Someday she could save yours.

2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Imagine that your father and sister have just been murdered—and you and the rest of your family have been told that you’re next on the list. This is the horrible reality that faced Literacy for Life learner Cesia in her native Honduras. To save her family, Cesia’s mother started them on the long, harrowing journey to the United States, where they would be safe from violence and have the opportunity to begin new lives.Cesia tried to find a job in her new country to help support her relatives, but her limited English was a barrier. Her asylum lawyer recommended that Cesia come to Literacy for Life for language skills. Cesia says she felt immediately welcomed by the warm and helpful staff—which gave her the resolve to stick with the program and get all the education she could. She decided to focus again on becoming a nurse, after her studies in Honduras were interrupted by the violence.The young woman was quickly matched with her tutor, Helen, who identified with Cesia’s challenges because she herself had spent time in another country while limited in the local language. Helen says that Cesia is extremely motivated, works hard, never complains, and has a big heart. Cesia also was matched with a nursing skills tutor, Susan, who remarks on Cesia’s “shining personality” as a great attribute for the medical profession and her future patients. That personality and heart are what drive Cesia to help as many people as she can—and to give back to the adoptive county that is protecting her from a life of danger.Cesia’s English has improved so much that she passed her Certified Nursing Assistant exam, and now she’s working on her Medication Aide certification. She currently has an A+ in nursing school, even though she’s the only non-native speaker in her class. Cesia’s ultimate goal is to become a Registered Nurse. Taking advantage of as many Literacy for Life classes and programs as possible, Cesia has not only worked with two tutors, but she has taken all

the classes she is eligible for. This includes HEAL, our health literacy class. With a younger sister who is frequently ill, Cesia says HEAL has really guided her on how to talk to the doctors. The skills from HEAL will also help her be a better nurse. The EmployEd program has also helped Cesia—from getting into Certified Nursing Assistant training to making sure support is available when she’s ready to look for a job in her chosen profession. EmployEd even helped Cesia step up from her housekeeper job to working as a server at Maurizio’s Italian Restaurant, where she is able to study for her nursing classes when her shifts are slow. The new job also gives her flexibility to take classes on her own schedule. Cesia is grateful for all the opportunities provided by Literacy for Life and the community. In addition to receiving so much free education, she’s been able to develop a support system of friends who understand what she has gone through and staff who care about her and are ready to help her with anything she needs. With your generous support, tutors like Helen and Susan, and the resources available at Literacy for Life, Cesia and the hundreds of learners like her served by the agency each year will be able to keep striving to reach their dreams!

OUR MISSION: Literacy for Life improves lives by teaching adults literacy skills required for self-sufficiency, better health, and meaningful participation in society.

Fleeing Tragedy, Finding Success

“The best moment is now.” Cesia

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR 2017-2018 SUPPORTERS

Despite our best efforts, errors may occasionally occur. Please accept our apologies if you find an error. Contact Amy Sikes at (757) 221-2422 or amy@wm.edu, and we will correct our records.

— www.literacyforlife.org —

through one-to-one tutoring, small classes, off-site programs, the on-site computer lab, and distance learning programs.

829learners served

Impact in 2017–2018

1,130 personal goals met

351 volunteerschanged lives by tutoring, teaching

classes, serving as board and council members, and assisting the staff.

EXPENSES

Administrative & fundraising

13%

Program expenses 87%

INCOME

Government (state & local)

16%Foundations/ corporations

21%

Interest & Other

4%Individuals/

private donations 28%

Fees for services (HEAL)

3%

Special events 27%

United Way 1%

COMMUNITY PARTNERS($50,000+)Impact 100Peninsula Community Foundation of Virginia, Inc. Virginia Department of EducationWilliamsburg Health Foundation

RITA WELSH SOCIETY($15,000-$49,999)Blue Talon BistroJon and Liz CarrierCharles and Ginny CroneDancing with the Williamsburg StarsJoan GilkisonRoy Hock

($10,000-$14,999)Bryce HinschLangley Federal Credit UnionCharlie and Karen LyonJack and Terry MurphyVirginia Literacy Foundation

($5,000-$9,999)Bank of AmericaBob and Louise CanfieldJock and Mary DarlingTim and Rosaura DykstraStuart FlanaganThe Hargrove Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLCRandy and Shelby HawthorneKevin and Joan PetersonWendy RuffleJohn TinkerUnited Way Wells Fargo FoundationBill and Carol WhiteThe College of William & Mary

($2,500-$4,999)William BarnesVirnell BruceLee and Paula HougenJames City CountyJohnson & JohnsonThe Lichtenberger FoundationMellette PCBill MutellJim PacellaPamela ReissRotary Club of Williamsburg FoundationMarc and Wilma SharpSmithfield FoodsWilliamsburg Community Foundation

LITERACY AMBASSADORS ($1,000-$2,499)Ty and Judith AlexanderCharles BarbourBernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation, Inc.BRG Quarterpath LLCPaul BrownJohn and Virginia CareyPatricia CarmichaelCity of WilliamsburgJoe and Janet CovingtonStewart Wetchler and Mary Kay DineenJames and Nikki DrakeEve EllisAnne Herman

Bob and Margaret HershbergerJim and Jane KaplanDenise KochJames McNailRonald and Deborah MonarkBen PuckettCherry and Eddie RobinsonJack and Jean SmithSt Bede Catholic ChurchPaul and Bonita StockmeyerSunTrust BankHans TiefelElizabeth WashWilliam Whittaker

LITERACY ADVOCATES ($500-$999)Atlantic Spray Systems, Inc.Benevity Community Impact FundJoanne BoyerGarnett and In Hae BrooksCarl and Cynthia DevoreSean DriscollChristopher GareisFrank and Sharon GorencJoseph Phillips and Edi GoughertyJeffrey D. HammerLegacy Financial GroupSam and Mary LizGinnie McLaughlinNew Zion Baptist ChurchPBMaresPeninsula Center For Estate and Lifelong Planning Iris PorushLynn PryorRiverside Health SystemDavid and Lyn RossLee ShelhorseThomas and Misty SpongState FarmWilliamsburg LandingCarolyn WilsonCarl and Cindy Zangardi

FRIENDS OF LITERACY($100-$499)Willie and Sharon AbneyKathleen AndersonGordon and Judy AnglesRichard and Dorothy BardzellJulie BaxterPamela BoyceRobert and Marget BradenhamBob BuchwaldWilliam and Linda BurkeEdward BurnettLinda ChelmowGuoyun ChenMaureen CohenLaura and James ColgaryJohn and Julia ConleeLovee CurtisAmy DasslerJohn and Sue DonaldsonJohn DoughertyCynthia Du PuyMartha DubordPatrick DuganBonnie Van DuynePamela Rudder-EastmanFrank and Mary Ell FerranteJudith EwellNancy and David FazzoneJodi FislerMary Fogarty

Juan Ballesteros GarciaGenentechAnn GoldenDeVeria GoreMaggie GrayKamlaithong HadchaiyaphumEugenie HammDottie HealyErin HollawaySuzanne HumphriesRick IveyAnita JagtThomas and Karen JamisonEllen JaroncyzkKay KaneJack and Barbara KniestSteve and Judy KnudsonGary and Margaret KrullBarbara and Fred KurasiewiczFred and Diane LedererKimberly LenzBetty LevinAl and Tessa LouerDavid and Valerie LuntMaggie and Jim LyremanAnna MartinDiana MartinTom and Ginny MartinJackson McBroomJames McGrathGregory and Beverly McLeodCandice MichalicTom and Martha MillenEstelle MillerBrenda MitchellStephen and Margaret MontgomeryKyong MorrisTim and Rita MurphyRobert OsmonRichard PalmerAdam PotkayBarbara and Tom PowersPrecise SystemsJohn and Barbara ReynoldsBud and Adele RobesonBob Welsh and Karen RoseMartha RushPatricia RussoMelanie Rothey and Gretchen SchumacherLouis and Carol SchusterDeborah and William SecrestSkip and Mary ShannonTerrence and Karen ShannonAmy SikesKathy SkubeDick and JoAnn SmithCharles W. Snader, P.C.Frank SonsiniBarbara St PierreDianne StumbaughVinson and JoAnne SutliveAlan TeckRoger and Imogene ThalerDorothy TibbettsSandra TreoloRobert Archibald and Nancy VincentHolley WallingRobert and Christine WardToni WebbCarolyn WeeksMildred WestNancy WigleyElli WilliamsWilliamsburg Veterinary Clinic PLLCForrest and Chrissy WilliamsonJames and Ellen Winthrop

Regina and Abebe YitbarekEdward Crapol and Jeanne ZeidlerJ.R. and Anne Zepkin

LITERACY SUPPORTERS(Up to $99)Walter and Shirley AdamsJoe and Eloise AgeeKaren AnnoniMarjorie ArtzerJames and Susan AxtellFrances and Thomas BakerSusan BaldwinDeb BeachKarin BoylanAnnie CampbellHelen-Andrea CardmanRobert and Marilyn CaseyClare O’BrienDeidre ConnellyRichard and Margaret ConnollyMartha CopenhaverDeborah Corkey-CorberCarol Sheriff and Philip DaileaderWilliam and Martha DeanRuby DoigCarolyn EberdtKaren EversoleExxonMobil FoundationClaudia FolletCarol FryerJane GeislerBarbara HaynesDorothy HigbeeMargaret HoffmanGuadalupe JacoboJanet JoyceJoann KansierIhsan KorkmazJanet KosidlakWilliam LancellottiMadelyn Larkinjolene MafnasJames and Phyllis McBriartyMoon Sewing ShopLeila MufdiElaine MullerPaul MurphyGloria NelsonEve OtmarDonald PaisleyJustin and Anna PetersonArthur and Fran PostSylvia RastHeidi RobitshekEllen RollandJames RudnickyBeth ScharlopBonnie SmithPreston and Myong SmithSarah Smith-BradyKirk Starr and Deborah SnyderPamela Sue SpencerPatricia StevensonCorliss TacosaScott and Jeannie TrainumArkadiy Khaykin and Natalia TumanovaGale and Jim TuriJon UngerSuzanne VernonSuzanne WagnerTony Esler and Cam WalkerAlan and Helene WardJonathan and Marcia WeissYinxiao XuBetsy Ziskind

like getting accepted into community college, earning a

certification for work, reading a book to a child, or understanding

a doctor’s instructions for the first time.

12new U.S. citizens

who studied American civics and history with their tutors.

$447,105 saved through volunteeringfrom a combined 18,109 hours of volunteer assistance in Literacy for Life programs and operations.

1 new state-level positionfor Literacy for Life Executive Director Joan Peterson, who was appointed to the Virginia Board of Workforce Development by Gov. Northam—helping Literacy for Life advocate for Virginians with the greatest barriers to employment, like those currently being served by our EmployEd program.

William & MaryP.O. Box 8795

301 Monticello Ave Williamsburg, VA 23187

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