Good morning neighbor!
Every now and then you hear a story that sticks with you and inspires you. I heard one of the those recently.
A young woman named Emma, who happened to be at an event I was covering last week, got up to tell the story of how The Literacy Project on Bank Row helped her get her life back. Emma graduated from The Literacy Project last year and began attending Greenfield Community College this fall. She said there was a time she didn’t believe she’d ever have the opportunity to attend college.
“In the school year 2018 to 2019, I had to drop out of high school,” she said. “I was a senior and never thought something like that would happen to me.”
Emma went on to say that she felt horrible about it, and that she quickly learned about the stigma attached to such a move. She said she felt people looked at her as the “typical dropout. I was labeled.”
Then, she was introduced to The Literacy Project.
“Not everyone has a lot of money,” Emma said. “I work a minimum-wage job, so I couldn’t afford to take the tests in each subject to get my GED.”
Though she didn’t go deep into the story of why she had to drop out, she said she knew she wanted to get her HiSET, formerly known as a GED, but each subject test costs about $100.
“The Literacy Project got me the funding to be able to take all of the tests I needed to take,” she said. “I got my (HiSET) in June and started at GCC this fall.”
She wrote a letter to The Literacy Project — specifically, Louise Barrows, Greenfield site director and advisor for the local office — thanking the nonprofit for its encouragement, dedication and support. She said the help it gave her was “nothing short of life-changing,” providing the support she so desperately needed at the time.
“I made a horrible mistake,” she said, but she ended up not having to pay a really high price for it.
She said The Literacy Project helped change her mindset and realize that she’s not alone. It helped her to fight the stigma she carried with her.
“Someday, I hope I can support The Literacy Project like it supported me,” she said.
Literacy Project Executive Director Judith Roberts said education has the power to transform lives, just like it did Emma’s. She said that power is seen every day at The Literacy Project — for example, the mother who learns how to advocate for her child or the laid-off factory worker who retools for a new career. She said the most vulnerable are served, giving those adults a second chance to succeed.
“Everyone knows education opens doors and provides opportunities,” she said.
The Literacy Project serves about 300 adults per year, and it is able to do so with help and financial support from the nonprofit United Way of Franklin County.
According to its website, The Literacy Project, which was founded in 1984 by Lindy Whiton, Jim Vaughan and Phil Rabinowitz, provides free basic education programs and high school equivalency classes to adults at five locations in Western Massachusetts and online.
Many students come to The Literacy Project to learn math — most of its students already know how to read, according to Judith — whether its learning how to make change or balance a checkbook. Some students come from other countries and are just starting to learn English, along with other basic skills.
We are so lucky to live in a such a giving community. Time and time again, over the course of my 20-year career as a journalist, I have covered local stories that might not have turned out like they did if not for the generosity of the wonderful people of Franklin County, which include you, your neighbors, local social services agencies, local businesses and organizations, and so many more.
We all live busy lives, and it’s not always convenient to offer your time, especially, but there are so many ways in which you can give back to your community.
Think about it — it’s really quite simple. Buy local products when you can. Volunteer to participate in food drives, diaper drives or community meals or read to children in schools, anything you’re interested in doing. Sponsor a youth sports team or an event of some sort. If you’re a business owner, encourage your employees to volunteer. Offer your skills by going into schools to teach our youth.
Visit our senior neighbors living in local nursing homes, because some don’t have friends or family living in the area and would love to have someone to talk to. My mom spent five months at Poet’s Seat Health Care Center on High Street before she died in October 2011, and while my sister, my dad and I visited her every day she was there, there were other residents who rarely had visitors during that time.
I’m not trying to preach, I’m just trying to give you some ideas. Giving truly is better than receiving — there’s even some science behind the concept, and there is something inexplicably satisfying in seeing the smile you put on someone’s face. And, that’s worth any time or money you can give.
For more information about The Literacy Project, call 413-774-3934 or visit: literacyproject.org.
Senior Reporter Anita Fritz grew up in Franklin County after moving from Spokane, Wash., when she was just a few weeks old. She is the regional reporter for the Greenfield Recorder, after covering Greenfield for eight years and serving as features editor for the Recorder and editor for the Athol Daily News. She has also written for Yankee Magazine, the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover and other publications. Reach her at 413-772-0261, ext. 269 or afritz@recorder.com.