THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT LITERACY
Lead by example, become an advocate for literacy

• Make a personal contribution to the Literacy Council. All contributions are tax deductible. The Literacy Council is a not for profit organization. Contributions
• Tell friends, co-workers or family members who may have low literacy skills that help is available. Have them call the Literacy Council for a referral to a literacy program.
• Become a Member of the Literacy Council. Membership Application
• Host a breakfast or comparable event for your peers to educate them about literacy, and encourage them to support and develop literacy efforts.
• Organize a book drive.
• Start a lunch hour book discussion club.
• Bring a famous author to Hartford (coordinate an event, cover the costs or get other organizations or individuals to help sponsor).
• Attend and participate in Literacy Council programs, meetings and initiatives.
• Speak out in meetings and community forums about literacy issues; write a letter/article for your company's publication or your local newspaper.

• Advocate for employees to receive paid leave time when needed to visit their children's teachers and participate in other parent activities, such as PTA meetings.
• Determine the training people in your company may need. Ask the Literacy Council to assist you with providing an on-site program. If starting a program is not feasible, consider joining forces with other local business to offer classes jointly to employees.
• Advocate for your organization's professional staff (e.g. accountant, attorney, public relations, development) to receive paid leave time to assist a local literacy program with its needs.
• Encourage your company to offer incentives (such as paid release time and tuition assistance) that might encourage adults to improve their skills.
• Add your company's logo to bookmarks, brochures, directories, etc. by covering printing costs.
• Ask the Literacy Council for help gathering information about literacy services and adult education opportunities in your area and find a way to share that information with those in need.

• Consider serving on the board of the Literacy Council or a local program.
• Become a volunteer tutor for a literacy program and advocate for your company to grant employees an hour of paid leave time each week to volunteer for literacy.
• Sponsor a Quarterly Luncheon Meeting of the Literacy Council membership so programs with limited budgets can attend.
• If your office is getting a new copier, fax machine, or computer, advocate for the old equipment to be donated to a literacy program in your community.
• Find space at your place of employment, place of worship, or school for a local program to offer evening or weekend classes.
• Consider replacing holiday gift baskets for co-workers, employees, customers or clients with a literacy donation in their honor.