The BeLit Bulletin, September 2021
National Adult Education
& Family Literacy Week

September 19-25
Adult literacy impacts all social issues from housing insecurity to health to gender equality to crime. Learning to read, write, do basic math, and use computers can lift people out of poverty, lower health care costs, gain sustainable employment, and ultimately change their lives.

September 19th-25th is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Here are 3 cost-free ways to support literacy learners:

  • Click to advocate: On 9/9, Congress is poised to act on a major funding bill, called reconciliation that could help our adult education system recover from the pandemic and address the changing needs of adult learners. Please please click on these links to ask legislators to include adult education funding in the budget reconciliation and the FY22 appropriations bill. Thank you!

  • Get vaccinated: COVID-19 closed schools worldwide, and now the global literacy rate is down 20%. Literacy impacts all aspects of life, from job opportunities to important health decisions. Being vaccinated is an opportunity to protect our community and reinforce health-literacy.

  • Know the facts: By staying informed, we can better understand the issues and stand together to fight for change. Some facts on literacy --
What's Philanthropitch? Think Shark Tank for nonprofits! BeLit is beyond honored to be one of five organizations selected to pitch our program to judges - and to you, the public - in order to compete for votes that unlock philanthropic funding. Stay tuned for more information on how you can be a part of the fun that will bring more opportunities to our amazing learners.
OUR LEARNER SPOTLIGHT:
Nofal Khudhur, ESL Graduate
For five years, Nofal Khudhur awaited the day that he and his family would be able to immigrate from Iraq to America. As a procurement specialist for an American company, Nofal and his family lived in constant danger due to his employment with the United States government. In 2010, he applied for an immigration program which specifically assisted at-risk employees of American companies. Finally approved in 2015, Nofal, his wife, and their two young children took a leap of faith, left everything behind, and began a new life in the city of Philadelphia.

Initially, Nofal and his wife found life in their new home to be strange and challenging. Nofal received his Job Authorization Card and began working at Cardone Industries. Unfortunately, the company relocated a year later, and Nofal was laid off. 
Seeking better career opportunities, Nofal decided to study for his GED. Despite having learned English in Iraq, he couldn't understand his classmates for the first month of classes. “Sometimes when they speak and make jokes, I couldn’t understand. My kids understand, so I asked them what it means,” he said.

After much studying, Nofal celebrated two significant accomplishments, becoming proficient in English and earning his GED. “I have goals to improve my life and improve my job. You must start to do it. Day by day you can change your life,” he said.

Nofal’s family welcomed their third child, the first to be born in America. To support his growing family, Nofal works multiple jobs while striving toward his next goal, becoming an American citizen. Both Nofal and his wife enrolled in Beyond Literacy's citizenship classes to prepare for their test. “For us, it is our dream to be American citizens. We feel proud to be American because it is a great country. It is freedom.”

Nofal now encourages his wife to practice her English at the market and assists his children in their homework. His advice to other immigrants is to be patient, keep going, and know that there are people and organizations who can help them accomplish their goals. “In the East, there is no value for people. You are worth nothing. But when you come to the United States, you become a person. You find yourself here.” 

BeLit Donor Appreciation Week

Our mission is made possible thanks to you, our caring supporters and donors. As a token of our thanks, Beyond Literacy will host its inaugural Donor Appreciation Week across all three of our campus locations from October 12-14th. Keep an eye out for more details to come about these exciting celebrations!

There is still time to become a BeLit founding donor. Click here for more information.
Our mission is to expand opportunities and improve lives by unleashing the power of literacy through free, high-quality education.