Anchor & Literacy Alliance

Since 2005 Anchor has been a host-site for Literacy Alliance, an program designed to increase and improve literacy amongst adults. They provide basic adult education and GED preparation for adults - particularly those who have not graduated from high school.

In the most recent newsletter (2008 Issue 4) the executive director Judy Stabelli noted the increasing need for their programs: 14% of adults 25 years and older in Allen County did not graduate from high school - that's almost 30,000 adults. Judy also noted that 78% of the 288 students who attended intake session from June - October arrived with skills at or below the eighth grade level. This is a serious problem.

According to the mayor's Social Services Summit, adults without a high school diploma have a very difficult time achieving family stability. In fact the lack of that diploma is a primary barrier to that stability. In thirteen tracts throughout the greater Fort Wayne area identified with the greatest need based on education and household factors, ten of those tracts had a non high school graduation rate of higher than 14%, and in three it was greater than 20%.

It's important that Anchor keep hosting Literacy Alliance in our neighborhood, it's important that we help remove such obstacles as distance and space in order to increase the likelihood of more adults needing help getting help. It'd also be awesome if members of our church made a commitment to serve the neighborhood by volunteering with Literacy Alliance.

To volunteer, call 426.7323; email: judith.stabelli@fwliteracyalliance.org
Volunteer to help with adult instruction programs, learning centers, KeyTrain computer training, one-on-one, or group tutoring.