News

 Last Gasp 2018

The Last Gasp was a huge success for CCLC. Our 14 riders all finished the ride and did a great job with their fund raising. See what our riders had to say here.

Thanks to our Last Gasp Sponsors:

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ESOL Classes at Foursquare Church

Rev. Leo Rosa poses with students receiving certificates for completion of an ESOL class offered with help of CCLC volunteer instructors at the Hyannis Portuguese Foursquare Church in Hyannis. Students from the community were also in attendance.

Congratulations to our ESOL graduating class! Thank you volunteer instructors, Rev. Leo and the Foursquare Community.

 

Brazilian Grill

Annual Salute to Volunteers!

A very successful Salute to Volunteers night was held on April 17, 2018 at the Brazilian Grill in Hyannis. Volunteers, students past and present, teachers, sponsors, guests and community members all gathered to celebrate National Volunteer Month.

We would especially like to thank State Senator Julian Cyr and State Representative Dylan Fernandes for their continued support and kind words.

We also thank our guest speaker, Jitka Borowick, Founder of Clean Green, Flower Angels Board Chair and President-elect of the Rotary Club of Hyannis.

Once again, the Brazilian Grill welcomed CCLC with their generous hospitality, fine food and entertainment. Our thanks go out to the management, wait staff and all others who helped make for a fun filled evening.

Thank You, Rotary Club of Hyannis!

Paul Gandillot, Hyannis Rotary Kathryn Carpenter, CCLC Executive Director Christine Walkley, Vice Chair CCLC Board

The Rotary Club of Hyannis Community Development Committee has awarded the CCLC a $6,000 grant for the purchase of seven laptop computers and MS Office software to be used by our volunteers and students.

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The following is an article published on November 18, 2017 in the Barnstable Patriot newspaper

Cape Cod Literacy Council program takes off at Centerville Library

This fall, the Centerville Public Library added something new to its already impressive list of community events: classes called focus study groups for English language learners.

Taught by volunteers from the nonprofit organization Cape Cod Literacy Council in Hyannis, classes at the library are designed around learners’ needs and consist of small groups of 3-5 students. “The program is very focused,” said Pat Steacy, library programming and development assistant.

The Literacy Council’s aims are to be a source for people who need instruction in fundamentals such as reading or English as a second language and, even more specifically, to assist students in whatever capacity in studying for (or learning to study for) tests such as the High School Equivalency Test (HISET) or the GED.

“We can help if a person with little or no English needs to take this test,” said Rafi Chaprut, who has volunteered with the Centerville Library for eight years and with the Literacy Council for four; he was named Massachusetts Literacy Champion for Volunteer Work by the Boston Herald in 2011. Chaprut, born in Turkey, studied in Israel before moving to the US. He said he can empathize with members of the Cape’s growing population of people who arrive from other countries with little or no English.

With a network of 120 volunteers, most assist in classrooms at Cape Cod Community College’s Adult Education Center and at classes through the Hyannis Portuguese Foursquare Church; however, there are also about 40 volunteers who specialize in one-on-one instruction.

Volunteers give about three hours per week of their time after completing a 14- to 16-hour training module.

“They’re trained to work in all areas,” said Kathryn Carpenter, executive director of Cape Cod Literacy Council.

For example, volunteers will train to understand what it’s like to arrive in a country without being able to speak the language, but they’ll also be trained to help learners study for the aforementioned tests or to assist with job skills training. Carpenter added that the Literacy Council partners with Job Training and Education Corporation (JTEC) of Hyannis and with the Community Action Committee of the Cape and Islands (CACCI). “During the training,” said Carpenter, “volunteers can see which aspect of it they like best and proceed in that direction.”

The Literacy Council’s mission is to ensure that every adult on Cape Cod will be literate. “Practically all of our students hear about us through word of mouth,” said Carpenter.

Funding for the Literacy Council comes from the Cape Cod Times as well as from grants and fundraisers. Carpenter said the organization is always accepting volunteers.

The Cape Cod Literacy Council was formed as a nonprofit organization in 1987 by then Cape Cod Times publisher Scott Himstead, who passed away in 2015. His vision was literacy for everyone.

For more information on classes or volunteering with Cape Cod Literacy Council, call Kathryn Carpenter at 508-771-0211.

Marina Davalos is a freelance writer living in Cotuit.

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