Thank You to Our Community
For over 20 years, Literacy Alberni Society worked from the belief that literacy is not a private skill but a public good, and that a valley where more people can read a lease, fill out a form, help a child with homework, or speak for themselves in a job interview is a better place for everyone.
Over that time, LAS ran English language classes for newcomers, settlement support services, K-12 tutoring, Little Libraries across the community, employment training programs, and more.
Thousands of hours of that work were done by volunteers who showed up week after week to support our community.
The past several years have been difficult. Like many small nonprofits, LAS faced funding, governance, and sustainability pressures. Programs ended, staff lost their jobs, and a community that had counted on this support found itself without it. We knew there might be a limit to what could be done with Literacy Alberni, but keeping it going bought us the time we needed to plan and rebuild. And, after careful deliberation, the board made the decision to close the society.
That decision was made only after the board had secured a way for the work itself to continue. Earlier this year, we began working with another local nonprofit, RISE Alberni, to create a process for RISE to take over some of Literacy Alberni’s programs. LAS and RISE have entered into a memorandum of understanding, transferring control of the English language class and tutoring programs, settlement support services, and the Little Libraries. RISE is in the process of relaunching K-12 tutoring, and continues to offer English language and settlement support at no cost.
If you currently volunteer with us or attend our classes or tutoring, nothing is ending. We will be in touch over the coming weeks to move you across to RISE, and we will walk through what that means for you individually. If you have questions in the meantime, reach out to us at [email protected].
If you are looking for services, RISE is taking registrations for Kâ12 tutoring and English language classes and tutoring now. Visit risealberni.org or contact [email protected].
Finally, our endless thanks to our vice-chair, Marilyn Gibson, who has been the heart of Literacy Alberni for as long as most of us can remember. It was her care for this community that made the path forward clear, and she is the reason why English language learners still have support in our community.
And to every learner, tutor, volunteer, funder, and donor who gave time or money to Literacy Alberni Society: You built something that now outlasts even the original organization. Thank you.
â Marilyn, Rebecca, and Lance
