A non-profit, United Way agency that develops and supports literacy programs in Habersham County, Georgia, Volunteers for Literacy (VFL) was established in 1989 through a partnership with North Georgia Technical College and began as an adult literacy tutoring service. Today VFL serves Habersham County residents of all ages through three signature programs: English Language Acquisition (ELA), Read to Succeed and GED Support.
The mission of Volunteers for Literacy is to establish and maintain programs
that promote and foster literacy in Habersham County.
Currently, VFL works to empower people through literacy so that can lead more productive and fulling lives by maintaining the English Language Acquisition Program, the Read to Succeed Program and GED Support.
English Language Acquisition Program
In 2003, VFL began supporting an English as a Second Language program that had been started by Jim Miner, a retired educator who saw a need for immigrants, especially those new to the United States, to learn English and civics. While many wanted to learn, most needed transportation and child-care. In addition to supporting the ESL (now called English Language Acquisition - ELA) program itself, VFL began providing financial support to pay child-care workers and van drivers. Space for classes was provided by a local church.
In 2022 VFL moved ELA classes to First Presbyterian Church of Cornelia, which offered use not only of the building but their church bus for transportation.
Read to Succeed Program
The Read to Succeed Program was created as a way of improving literacy in Habersham County by developing programs that encourage adults and children to read. Those programs include:
(1) The Dictionary Project: VFL joined this national effort in 2003. Each fall VFL presents every third grade child in the Habersham School System (HSS) a dictionary of their own to use at home and at school. Educators see third grade as a milestone when children go from learning to read to reading to learn. VFL joins with The Dictionary Project in the belief that the dictionary will assist in their becoming "good writers, active readers, creative thinkers and resourceful learners."
(2) Scripps Spelling Bee: Since 2008, VFL has sponsored the Scripps Spelling Bee for HSS elementary and middle school students by giving financial support to register the 11 schools and providing trophies for each school winner and runner-up and the county winner and runner-up.
(3) VFL Book Bank: Begun in 2009 by Helen O'Brien, a VFL board member and media center specialist at a local school, VFL maintains a book bank of several thousand books. VFL annually gives approximately 3,000 books to children and adults, including approximately 1,000 books each Christmas to underserved children, 2,000 children and adult books in 17 Little Free Libraries, 250 books given to underserved children in the Summer Reading Program; and the remainder given at festivals and other county events. Over the past few years, now former board member Kathie Nee, gave countless hours to take the book bank to new levels by finding new sources for book donations, bringing in new volunteers to help organize donated books into categories and organizing numerous events in which thousands of books were given to children of all ages.
In 2022 the VFL Board of Directors honored Kathie and her husband Dan for their countless gifts of time, talent and treasures by naming the book bank the Kathie and Dan Nee Boo Bank.
(4) Little Free Libraries: VFL established the LFL program in 2011 and now has 19 Little Free Libraries in parks and other public areas in Habersham County. Each library has a steward who maintains the box and keeps it filled with books from the VFL Book Bank. While book exchange is encouraged, we find that most boxes will be empty within a week to ten days.
(5) One Book Habersham: In 2014 VFL partnered with the Piedmont College Department of Education, HSS and Habersham Libraries to sponsor One Book Habersham (OBH). In this community-building program, a picture book is chosen by the OBH committee for the entire community to read. Approximately 500 books are purchased and distributed among elementary and middle schools and the community. At the end of the three-month period, the book's author visits and over a three-day period, does a special program with school children. The event culminates with a community event in which the author visits with and speaks to those in attendance. While COVID forced the program to close in 2020, plans are to re-establish it in 2024.
(6) Summer Reading Program: VFL began a partnership with HSS's Feed a Friend program in 2018. The program supplies lunch to underserved children and their parents three days a week for seven weeks in the summer. VFL provides a lending library during the lunch hour so children can check out books, read and return them later in the week. At summer's end, children can choose five books as their own. This encourages children to read during the summer and keep their reading skill sharp. VFL also provides books and funding for The Herron Community Summer Reading Program which is an underserved neighborhood.
GED Scholarships
VFL has partnered with North Georgia Technical College in offering GED scholarships to students in need for three decades. 22% of adults in Habersham County not having high school diplomas or their GED. In 2022, VFL started providing gas cards to encourage attendance. VFL also partners with the college and the Georgia Certified Literacy Community Program (CLCP) to market the GED program to those who could improve their lives by having a GED.
Certified Literate Community Program
VFL is part of the Technical College System of Georgia's Certified Literate Community Program. The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) promotes literacy in Georgia by involving the whole community. By making literacy a community-wide commitment, a diversity of key resources is mobilized to promote and support literacy training. The CLCP is a partnership between the public sector (education and government) and the private sector (business and enterprise). This dynamic partnership results in improved literacy levels for children, families, and workers in the entire community.
The mission of Volunteers for Literacy is to establish and maintain programs
that promote and foster literacy in Habersham County.
Currently, VFL works to empower people through literacy so that can lead more productive and fulling lives by maintaining the English Language Acquisition Program, the Read to Succeed Program and GED Support.
English Language Acquisition Program
In 2003, VFL began supporting an English as a Second Language program that had been started by Jim Miner, a retired educator who saw a need for immigrants, especially those new to the United States, to learn English and civics. While many wanted to learn, most needed transportation and child-care. In addition to supporting the ESL (now called English Language Acquisition - ELA) program itself, VFL began providing financial support to pay child-care workers and van drivers. Space for classes was provided by a local church.
In 2022 VFL moved ELA classes to First Presbyterian Church of Cornelia, which offered use not only of the building but their church bus for transportation.
Read to Succeed Program
The Read to Succeed Program was created as a way of improving literacy in Habersham County by developing programs that encourage adults and children to read. Those programs include:
(1) The Dictionary Project: VFL joined this national effort in 2003. Each fall VFL presents every third grade child in the Habersham School System (HSS) a dictionary of their own to use at home and at school. Educators see third grade as a milestone when children go from learning to read to reading to learn. VFL joins with The Dictionary Project in the belief that the dictionary will assist in their becoming "good writers, active readers, creative thinkers and resourceful learners."
(2) Scripps Spelling Bee: Since 2008, VFL has sponsored the Scripps Spelling Bee for HSS elementary and middle school students by giving financial support to register the 11 schools and providing trophies for each school winner and runner-up and the county winner and runner-up.
(3) VFL Book Bank: Begun in 2009 by Helen O'Brien, a VFL board member and media center specialist at a local school, VFL maintains a book bank of several thousand books. VFL annually gives approximately 3,000 books to children and adults, including approximately 1,000 books each Christmas to underserved children, 2,000 children and adult books in 17 Little Free Libraries, 250 books given to underserved children in the Summer Reading Program; and the remainder given at festivals and other county events. Over the past few years, now former board member Kathie Nee, gave countless hours to take the book bank to new levels by finding new sources for book donations, bringing in new volunteers to help organize donated books into categories and organizing numerous events in which thousands of books were given to children of all ages.
In 2022 the VFL Board of Directors honored Kathie and her husband Dan for their countless gifts of time, talent and treasures by naming the book bank the Kathie and Dan Nee Boo Bank.
(4) Little Free Libraries: VFL established the LFL program in 2011 and now has 19 Little Free Libraries in parks and other public areas in Habersham County. Each library has a steward who maintains the box and keeps it filled with books from the VFL Book Bank. While book exchange is encouraged, we find that most boxes will be empty within a week to ten days.
(5) One Book Habersham: In 2014 VFL partnered with the Piedmont College Department of Education, HSS and Habersham Libraries to sponsor One Book Habersham (OBH). In this community-building program, a picture book is chosen by the OBH committee for the entire community to read. Approximately 500 books are purchased and distributed among elementary and middle schools and the community. At the end of the three-month period, the book's author visits and over a three-day period, does a special program with school children. The event culminates with a community event in which the author visits with and speaks to those in attendance. While COVID forced the program to close in 2020, plans are to re-establish it in 2024.
(6) Summer Reading Program: VFL began a partnership with HSS's Feed a Friend program in 2018. The program supplies lunch to underserved children and their parents three days a week for seven weeks in the summer. VFL provides a lending library during the lunch hour so children can check out books, read and return them later in the week. At summer's end, children can choose five books as their own. This encourages children to read during the summer and keep their reading skill sharp. VFL also provides books and funding for The Herron Community Summer Reading Program which is an underserved neighborhood.
GED Scholarships
VFL has partnered with North Georgia Technical College in offering GED scholarships to students in need for three decades. 22% of adults in Habersham County not having high school diplomas or their GED. In 2022, VFL started providing gas cards to encourage attendance. VFL also partners with the college and the Georgia Certified Literacy Community Program (CLCP) to market the GED program to those who could improve their lives by having a GED.
Certified Literate Community Program
VFL is part of the Technical College System of Georgia's Certified Literate Community Program. The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) promotes literacy in Georgia by involving the whole community. By making literacy a community-wide commitment, a diversity of key resources is mobilized to promote and support literacy training. The CLCP is a partnership between the public sector (education and government) and the private sector (business and enterprise). This dynamic partnership results in improved literacy levels for children, families, and workers in the entire community.