Funding loss spells uncertainty for Union County literacy agency
Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2008
EL DORADO — For more than 20 years, the Literacy Council of Union County has been working to combat illiteracy and helping to improve the lives of area residents.
Faced with major funding cuts, the agency now finds itself in a dilemma that could threaten its future and those it serves. In fact, the council’s board of directors, in a collective statement, said the doors to the agency could close by year’s end.
Board members said they are working to regain their bearings and stave off the closure of a program they believe provides valuable services to the community.
The Literacy Council learned last month that its agency status with the United Way of Union County, one of its leading financial contributors, had been terminated.
The Literacy Council will continue to receive funding that has been allocated by United Way until the end of the year, but funding for 2009 has been eliminated, according to a letter sent to the council by the United Way board of directors in July.
Bill Luther, United Way of Union County board president, wrote that while the agency has acknowledged the need for literacy services in El Dorado and Union County, it believes the Literacy Council has strayed from its original mission of primarily serving the area’s adult population.
Luther went on to say, “In addition the small number of individuals actually served by the Literacy Council does not justify continuation of previous funding levels.” Alexis Alexander, executive director of the United Way of Union County, noted that while the Literacy Council no longer can participate in the annual funding allocations process, it may apply for its Community Impact grants for specific projects designated for addressing adult illiteracy.
“As stewards of the contributions United Way receives, the United Way board of directors is entrusted to make sure those dollars are going to the services as they are outlined in the agency’s funding request,” Alexander said.
The Literacy Council board of directors said the council has increased the number of people it serves since United Way began expressing such concerns and gradually reducing the funding it had provided the council over the past two years.
Board members reported that the council served 141 people in 2005, 81 in 2006, 180 in 2007 and 246 through March of this year.
They said the numbers reflect those who participate in a range of instructional programs, including Adult Basic Education, After School Reading and Family Reading.
The loss of funding in recent years, as well as a diminishing pool of trained tutors, have provided some bumps in the road for the council, but board members and dedicated volunteers / tutors have helped to keep the council running as smoothly as possible, board members said.
Partnerships with Arkansas Literacy Councils Inc., the Central Arkansas Development Council and other groups also have helped.
The board has been looking to expand the council’s Web site so people in the community may learn more about the services it offers.
In its partnership with the Central Arkansas Development Council, the Literacy Council hoped to provide transportation to those who want to take advantage of its programs. Board members explained that many clients come from outside El Dorado and are having trouble keeping up with rising gasoline prices or finding reliable transportation.
They noted that the nearest Literacy Council to El Dorado is in Magnolia.
Board members said they appreciate the support of the United Way of Union County, and noted that they are busy exploring other funding sources and developing fundraising ideas. They pledged that the council will keep functioning “until the money runs out.” People can make a financial contribution by becoming a member of the council for an annual membership fee of $ 10.
Long-time tutor and retired teacher Josephine McCall said those who join aren’t required to tutor or to volunteer for the agency, although they would be welcomed if they chose to do so.
McCall said she has relished the opportunity of helping people learn to read and to write, among other things, over the years.
Mary Ann Mellinger, who has served the council in several different capacities since 1986, said the council has enabled participants to achieve educational success, become more marketable and gain employment.
The threat of closure would be another blow to a community that has seen population and industry decrease in recent years, board members said.
Mellinger, referring to one of her current students, said it would have other ramifications.
“I’ve seen what a difference it has made in the students’ lives, especially one I have right now. He has [multiple sclerosis ], and he’s in the hospital right now. He said, ‘ I just want to get out of here, so I can go back to my studies, ’” she said.
“I know it does help people. We may not reach as many people as we would like to, but it’s special to me,” Mellinger added.
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