PRESS RELEASE:
Local Families and Firms Called to Local Service For SCRABBLE® Challenge on May 6, 2009
The need is immediate and the challenge is on the table – along with 100 SCRABBLE® tiles. Get ready to serve your community by leading a team to win the 9th Annual SCRABBLE® Challenge on May 6, 2009 at the Greenwich Country Club to benefit Literacy Volunteers – Stamford/Greenwich, Inc. Pick your team, plan your strategy, peruse the dictionary -- cocktails and hors d’oeuvres start at 6 p.m.; games begin at 7:00.
Corporate, individual and foundation support promotes team spirit at the SCRABBLE® Challenge. Two games comprise the tournament as approximately 300 area wordsmiths convene for this inventive approach to service in our community. “And that is what SCRABBLE® does – it raises awareness about the need to provide education programs for the more than 68,000 adults in Fairfield County who lack the literacy skills to read a newspaper or fill out a job application while inspiring participants to make a difference,” said Diane Rosenthal.
Many generous patrons assemble SCRABBLE® teams of family and friends for an evening of fun competition in support of reading, writing and English language programs for adults in our community. Last year, Pitney Bowes unseated the previously reigning champions from FactSet. A brief awards ceremony will celebrate the 2009 corporate teams and individual SCRABBLE® champions.
To sign up for the 2009 SCRABBLE® Challenge, please call Diane Rosenthal, Executive Director, at 203-324-5214.
In a sign of the times, Literacy Volunteers - Stamford/Greenwich, Inc. surveyed 62 new incoming students who were there to learn English as a second language. For the first time ever, two-thirds of the students indicated that they were out of work. “I just lost my job” was a universal comment heard at the most recent registration.
“Our students usually work in homes, on construction sites, with landscaping teams and in a number of personal and professional service positions,” said Diane Rosenthal of the trend. “The bright spot is that they are taking this time to invest in learning English. That investment of their time will help them for years to come.”
Like most non-profit organizations, Literacy Volunteers - Stamford/Greenwich, Inc. receives its support from family foundations, individuals, private and public corporations and federal and state agencies. And like all non-profits across the country and throughout our region LVSG has been hit hard by the economic downturn. “We are in this together and we need to reassess our priorities, recommit our resources and reinvigorate our efforts to be sure that we can continue to provide high-quality education to those among us who have the least access but can also gain the most,” said Diane.
Literacy Volunteers benefits our neighbors immediately. It contributes directly to the social fabric of Stamford and Greenwich. Finally, it provides a diverse and prepared workforce for our local corporations and small businesses.
To sponsor a SCRABBLE® team, make a contribution, or sign up to become a tutor, please visit . There, you will hear the first-hand stories of our students, our tutors and our donors. Please join us as we help our neighbors during this difficult economic season.
To learn more about Literacy Volunteers, please visit http://www.lvsg.org/ or contact Diane Rosenthal, Executive Director, at 203-324-5214.
About Literacy Volunteers – Stamford/Greenwich, Inc.
Literacy Volunteers – Stamford/Greenwich, Inc. is a community-based organization that utilizes the services of trained volunteers to provide high quality reading, writing and English language programs to adults, both native and foreign born, for the purpose of enabling them to acquire the literacy skills necessary to achieve personal and occupational goals. LVSG believes that adult literacy remains essential to supporting the community-wide aspirations of strengthening families, enabling parents to participate in the education of their children and ensuring access to opportunities for economic advancement.
Contact:
Carol Wallace
203-351-6974
LVSG Board member
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