Reading Between the Wines
So. Life happens, right? Sonia (my learner at Literacy for Life)(not her real name) had to cancel our tutoring session last week. She has a lot on her plate, and sometimes things that are long-term important (like improving her language skills) have to make way for things that are short-term critical (like family emergencies.) We’ll get together this week and make up for lost time. So instead of writing about my session with Sonia, I’m writing about something else today.
This Friday night, October 28, is the annual “Reading Between the Wines” fundraiser for Literacy for Life. For several years, this event has served as the major fundraiser for this very worthwhile program. I’ve attended a couple of them, and I have a ticket to attend this Friday’s event as well. You can find out more about this event at this link. https://www.literacyforlife.org/reading-between-the-wines
This event features a nice selection of wines and assorted snacks, along with a live and silent auction and guest speaker. The event will also include short testimonials from several of the learners associated with the program. Here’s a video the program has posted online, which includes some of these testimonials. I know about half the people featured in this video. Take a couple of minutes to meet some very impressive people.
The woman on the left in this picture is Salma, who is from Kenya. I tutored her for several years as she worked through several programs to improve her English language skills and also completed a nursing licensure program. She is currently a valued Licensed Practical Nurse in the long-term-care unit of Williamsburg Landing, an upscale senior living facility in Williamsburg. A few years ago, when the wife of a friend of ours was living in this unit, our friend told me that Salma was caring for her. My friend couldn’t say enough good things about Salma.
The people in the picture with Salma are her mother and brother, whom she sponsored to come to the US from their home in Kenya. Her brother is one of the people featured in the video. He got his commercial driver’s license and is employed to drive up and down the east coast. He says it’s a great way to learn about “this beautiful country.” Salma was able to sponsor them because she has been an American citizen — for almost 20 years!
(And in an oh-by-the-way, when I went to the dentist last week for my routine appointment, I ran into Wendy, another learner at Literacy for Life.) I first met Wendy and her then-five-year-old daughter in 2013, as she was applying for citizenship. I tutored her through that process (she passed with flying colors!) and she has been in several of my classes at the center since then. She completed the Dental Assistant Program sponsored by Literacy for Life, volunteered for six months at the Olde Towne Medical Center, and is now employed full-time as a Dental Assistant for my dentist. And her little child is now a sophomore in high school, doing great, and planning to go to medical school. Immigrants get the job done!
The live auction, conducted by an experienced auctioneer, is always lots of fun. Most of the live auction items are a little pricey for me, but I enjoy cheering on other people who have decided to spend their money in support of this cause.
Here are a few of the live auction items:
A Custom Backyard Fire Pit
Overnight Stay & Play at Kingsmill Resort
In-home Personal Training – 12 sessions
Mt. Fugi’s Hibachi Night chicken dinner for 8 in your own backyard
Dinner for 6 at one of Williamsburg’s Indian Restaurants, Masala Craft (this restaurant is owned by people who got their start in America as learners at Literacy for Life)
One week at any Vidanta resort in Mexico
Tour of five Mexican restaurants in Williamsburg for 6 guests
And so forth.
In addition, many local merchants have offered their products and services for the silent auction. In previous years, I have successfully bid on books, baskets of toiletries, and gourmet foods. Lots of opportunities to bid on gifts for the coming holiday season while serving a good cause!
The guest speaker for this event is always someone associated with reading – usually a well-known author. This year, the speaker is bestselling author Camille Di Maio, whose award-winning historical fiction has captured a loyal fan base. I have to admit – I haven’t read any of her books, but I just borrowed a couple through my KindleUnlimited subscription, and I plan to read at least one of them before I hear her speak on Friday.
This year, the event is being held in the new Alumni Center at William and Mary; this is an additional incentive to attend this event – at least for me – because this center just opened within the last year and I haven’t had a chance to look around yet.
The fundraising goal for this event is $100,000 – but the event website notes that they have already raised $98,516 through event tickets only! This makes me very happy – it means that this program will have a lot of resources to serve this valuable sector of my community. If you are not already attending this event, , only 25 tickets were still available as of this morning, so you need to sign up quickly or you’ll miss out. If you can’t attend but would like to support this organization, you can also do that. Information about this can be found here https://e.givesmart.com/events/rhR/