Today’s article is brought to you by Jeff Lipinski for Howard County Commissioner District 1. Faith and family-focused. Public safety is a priority. Experience matters in local government, and that is what Jeff Lipinski brings to the table.
Reading is a skill that most people take for granted. For those who learned to read growing up, literacy simply isn’t a concern. They use the skill every day without giving it much thought.
But those who cannot read live in an alien world. Economic opportunities for them are few and far between. Entire avenues of communication are closed to them. And the stigma that accompanies their deficit can completely disconnect them from society.
The Literacy Coalition of Howard County has worked for decades to guide the illiterate to a better life through reading. Unfortunately, the non-profit is suffering from a lack of funding that regularly threatens its continued existence.
“There are just two of us, and we still have the same salaries we had in 1995,” said Literacy Coalition director Bob Stephenson. “That is a terrible mistake that I made. We didn’t need the money, and it was easier to concentrate on our mission and not try to raise money for pay increases.
“Our overhead is as low as it has been since I started here, and that’s with owning a building. We have been efficient and effective. We have helped people get into Ivy Tech and IU Kokomo. We’ve helped them get better jobs, become independent. I’m proud of that and the fact that we teach people who couldn’t find help anywhere else.”
There is no shortage of success stories coming from the Literacy Coalition. It is currently serving 52 clients, and around 100 people a year utilize the coalition’s services. And the majority of them complete the program able to read English. Others still struggle due to other deficits that make the process a long one.
“I have one guy I have been tutoring for 22 years,” said Stephenson. “He’s actually been coming to the Literacy Coalition for 26 years. He walks to the office every week, no matter where our office is. And he has improved a lot.
“But some of our clients are just not people who can attend a couple classes and get it. They’ve been to classes. It’s really the one-on-one tutoring that works for them. We haven’t had to turn anyone away, but we have had struggles providing materials for them. But we also struggle to keep the lights and heat on.”
Funds are in short supply for the Literacy Coalition. While the organization has received federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding along with Community Development Block Grant and non-profit grants from the City of Kokomo, it had to cancel its largest fundraiser of the year – Dancing with the Stars – due to a lack of staffing.
“We had to cut staff, and our Dancing with the Stars event was one of the things that person organized,” said Stephenson. “For about three months out of every year, that staff member worked solely on Dancing with the Stars. We did it last year after missing 2020, but it just overwhelmed us and took us away from our mission, which is teaching people to read and speak English.
“We just couldn’t do it this year. We’re trying to find volunteers to take on the event, but that’s a large commitment.”
The Literacy Coalition previously received $36,000 annually from United Way of Howard and Tipton Counties. The last check it received from United Way was in July 2021. For a small non-profit, that amount is huge.
“We had built up a reserve – a rainy day fund – which we have slowly used up to keep us going,” said Stephenson. “We are working to get more individual donors, but that’s a hard nut to crack right now.”
Shawn Hilton, owner of Comics Cubed in downtown Kokomo, heard about the funding difficulties facing the Literacy Coalition and immediately stepped up to help. He held a fundraiser in his store recently, raising $200 for the charity.
“It’s not a huge check, but I’m happy to help,” said Hilton. “In my business, reading is everything. There couldn’t be a cause that ties into what I do more completely. I encourage the community to join me in supporting the Literacy Coalition however they can.”
To that end, Stephenson explained that the Literacy Coalition needs donations of time and money. Volunteers are always appreciated, he said, and even small donations make a big impact.
“If people would be willing to donate $5-$10 a month, that would help smooth out our funding,” said Stephenson. “They don’t have to write $100 checks. We’re entering November and December, which are good fund-raising months for us, but by March, that money has been used up.”
To donate to the Literacy Coalition of Howard County or to volunteer, call 765-450-8532, or visit www.literacycoalition.com.