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It's time to Give Local 757!

It's that time of year again! Give Local 757 is an annual giving day when residents and friends of the Hampton Roads area support their favorite nonprofit organization by making online donations. It's a full 24 hours of showing love to the organizations that help make a big difference in the lives of thousands in our community who need it most. The big day is Tuesday, May 10th, and as a friend of Peninsula READS, we need your help to raise $6,500 and make this Give Local 757 day our best ever!

For almost 54 years, Peninsula READS has been focused on our mission to provide adult learners the opportunity to learn the literacy skills they need to live more effectively for themselves and their families. With more than 30,000 adults with insufficient literacy in the Newport News, Hampton, York, and Poquoson areas, there is a lot of work to do. With diligent staff and committed volunteer tutors, we serve about 400 learners, helping them achieve new literacy skills and personal goals. Literacy gives us access to so many things we may take for granted, like better employment opportunities, healthcare, and the security of community connectedness. Your support during this year's Give Local 757 will help us continue providing access to these opportunities and more!

So get ready to Give Local 757 to Peninsula READS! On Tuesday, May 10th, your donation could help us even more by putting us running to win prize funding if we are the nonprofit with the most unique donations between 9am and 10am! So, rise and shine, grab a cup of coffee, and click the link below to give your donation during this coffee hour! Don't forget to share with your friends and family!

Give Local Now

Forward

Learner Success Highlight

Victoria Miller, an adult learner from Ghana, has been enrolled at Peninsula READS since 2012. She came to us with goals to improve her English and computer literacy skills, and we are always impressed with her many accomplishments! Recently, she was featured in the Newport News Now newsletter highlighting her business, Vicky’s Fashion & Fabrics, which opened in December of 2021.

Vicky is determined in her literacy goals and driven to success. Her computer literacy tutor, Erick, has observed this determination in the classroom: “When I met Vicky, I saw a person who appeared enthusiastic, optimistic, funny and kind. Time proved me right. Vicky showed me a true passion to learn as we worked together to create a Word document. The document would ultimately be used to support her business, Vicky‘s Fashion and Fabrics. Vicky has a passion for success and I feel lucky to be able to work with her. It is obvious that she will create a successful business by combining her many skills with very hard work.” We are excited to see what Vicky accomplishes next!

Partnership with Christopher Newport University

Our work at Peninsula READS is always at its best when we collaborate with other businesses and organizations in our community, and our partnership with Christopher Newport University has been extremely beneficial to our adult learners. Through collaboration with professors Dr. Michelle Grau and Dr. Rebecca Wheeler, as well as Director of Community Engagement Vanessa Buehlman, we have welcomed numerous talented and dedicated student tutors from CNU. This fall, we will be expanding our collaboration with the university and will welcome our first Student Site Team Leader, Grey Cashwell! Grey will be responsible for representing Peninsula READS on the CNU campus and will act as a liaison between CNU volunteers and Peninsula READS tutoring opportunities.

Grey Cashwell is a rising senior at Christopher Newport University studying English writing and philosophy. While he began volunteering at Peninsula Reads for a class requirement, Grey has decided to continue to work with beginner-level English Language Learners through Peninsula READS. Grey also studies Spanish and linguistics. In his spare time, Grey enjoys creative writing, reading, and playing guitar.