The Rotary Club of Annapolis has awarded the Literacy Council a 2025 Crab Feast Grant. The funds we received will purchase materials for Annapolis adults in our math and high school diploma programs.
🦀 This was the Club’s 80th annual crab feast. Since 2005, the Rotary Club of Annapolis has awarded over $1 million in grants via the Crab Feast grant program. Thank you, Rotary Club of Annapolis!
AACLC tutors — please consider joining us for a tutor workshop: The Power of Picture Books, offered by an AACLC tutor who recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
Tuesday, January 6
3 – 4:30 pm
Severna Park Library
In The Power of Picture Books, we will explore how picture books can be used to teach adults who are learning English as a second language.
Some might say that picture books are meant only for children; however, they are written and illustrated by adults for everyone. Multicultural picture books, in particular, give voice to refugee and immigrant stories. The words and illustrations are poetic and descriptive, powerfully constructed and purposefully placed to share culturally authentic lived experiences.
Please RSVP to Jane.
On November 24, Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) hosted its annual High School Graduation Ceremony, and Literacy Council students Sandra Garcia-Justo, Maria Pineda, and Norys Perdomo were there to accept their diplomas. Council tutors, staff, and a representative from our Board of Directors cheered our students on as they received their awards and celebrated.
AACLC student, Maria Pineda, gave a moving speech that evening. Maria began her studies with the Literacy Council about seven years ago, when she entered our ESL program. Her goal at the time was to improve her English.
For years, Maria dreamed of getting her high school diploma. She has achieved her goal! “It’s never too late — learn and grow,” Maria said in her speech at the ceremony.
Congratulations to all our students who earned high school diplomas this year. Many thanks to the tutors who helped these students achieve their goals.
Graduates Sandra Garcia-Justo (left) and Norys Perdomo (right) with their tutor, Beverly Nash, at the AACC ceremony.
I am writing to share an update on the ongoing partnership between the Annapolis Family Support Program (AFSP) and the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council (AACLC).
Our mission at AFSP is to support participants in establishing and completing their goals, including educational ones, through collaboration with community programs that promote self-sufficiency. Since 2021, our partnership with AACLC has been crucial in advancing this mission by providing one-on-one tutoring in a supportive environment.
This collaboration is especially effective for students who often face challenges with self-doubt regarding their abilities. We are pleased to report that our students are making consistent educational gains every year.
This fiscal year, we are celebrating the tremendous achievement of two parents who completed their GEDs. These students received one-on-one tutoring through AACLC while attending AFSP adult education classes. Despite moments of uncertainty, the support from our collaborative efforts allowed them to achieve their goal, and they are now celebrating by walking the stage in their caps and gowns.
Every individual and family we support together is a win. These successes build opportunities for further personal development and lifelong skill-building. Our expanding partnership—from resource connection to social support—is both effective and appreciated by the community we serve.
Thank you for your continued support of this valuable collaboration.
The Literacy Council’s Eastport conversation group celebrated Thanksgiving last month. The table was beautifully decorated, with a buffet of traditional Thanksgiving food from Main & Market Catering.
AACLC tutor, Nancy Robinson, who organized the event, provided handouts about Thanksgiving and, with tutor Dionna Lynch, led a discussion on Thanksgiving traditions and a vocabulary flashcard game.
Attendees were happy and grateful to spend an evening together recognizing this American holiday. Thanks to Nancy, Dionna, and Seeds 4 Success for providing an inclusive and welcoming space for all.
Donations from Homestead Gardens and Main & Market Catering helped make the Thanksgiving gathering possible. We are grateful for their kindness.
The Literacy Council’s conversation group is taking a break for the month of December and will resume in January.
The Community Resources page on our website at icanread.org features an organized list of government and community resources available to residents of Anne Arundel County. It includes websites and phone numbers for government departments and services, library resources, education, employment, immigration, and food assistance.
The Community Resources page is available in Spanish.
En Español: Recursos comunitarios.
This resources page, published by the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and updated regularly, provides information on where to find free food and basic necessities throughout the county. Pantry locations, contact numbers, and hours are included. Visit the resources page to download a pantry map that lists food, baby, and senior pantries all over Anne Arundel County.
The OMA engages with multicultural communities in Anne Arundel County to connect, inform, and elevate the county’s diverse voices. It provides guidance on family preparedness for immigrant families.
Connects Anne Arundel County residents to immigration legal counsel and related support services. aijnetwork.org
Free virtual ESL classes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Call OIC’s partner, the Center of Help (Centro de Ayuda), at 410-295-3434 to enroll.
Wednesday, December 17, 6 – 7:30 pm
https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-211108
also scheduled for January 21, 6 – 7:30 pm
https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-211109
and February 18, 6 – 7:30 pm
https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-211110
Monday, January 12, 6 – 7 pm
https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-210280
held every month
Seeds 4 Success office
AACLC’s English Conversation Group in Eastport is taking a break for December.
Thank you for all you did this year as a Literacy Council volunteer or supporter. You have contributed to our impact in Anne Arundel County.
This fiscal year, we expect to donate more than 18,000 volunteer hours. Translated to a simple monetary value, this is an investment of over $600,000 in local communities.
By May 31, we will have served 200+ adult learners, including people at both county detention centers in Annapolis and Glen Burnie. Thank you for your part in this collective effort!
Let’s keep up the good work! We have scheduled a new tutor training session for Saturday, February 21 — please consider referring a friend.
Thank you for your support on #GivingTuesday and throughout our annual membership campaign. If you haven’t submitted your AACLC membership donation yet and would like to, you can donate on the AACLC website or by mailing a check.
Please read on for some uplifting end-of-year news!
Happy Holidays,
Jane
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council is participating in the Maryland Charity Campaign. MCC is a workplace charitable giving program that provides Maryland State employees and retirees with the opportunity to support causes they care about. From October 6 to December 12, visit https://mcc.maryland.gov/ and click on “Give Now” to participate. Our MCC charity code is 52-1479101.
Thank you for your support!
Please remember
the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council
on #GIVINGTUESDAY.
If you haven’t submitted your AACLC Membership donation and would like to, this is a great opportunity.
You can give through
AACLC’s icanread.org donate page
OR
by check.
mail to: AACLC, P.O. Box 1303, Edgewater, MD 21037
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) has released its 2025 community needs assessment report, Poverty Amidst Plenty VIII: Building Community Together.
From CFAAC’s website: the report “is intended to increase knowledge, raise awareness, and frame informed discussions about persistent local trends and needs. It serves as both a tool and a call to action—designed to support all who are committed to strengthening Anne Arundel County through continuous improvement.”
Dr. Pamela Brown, the report’s author, will present her findings in a virtual presentation on December 9, from 10 am until noon. Download the report and sign up to attend.
CFAAC funds local grants and workshops that benefit the Literacy Council and other nonprofits. AACLC’s endowment fund is managed by the Community Foundation.
