DC MAYOR BOWSER PROVIDES 2020 DC HOPE COMMUNITY GRANT TO WASHINGTON LITERACY CENTER
For Immediate Release Contact:
July 2, 2020 Annette Larkin
703.772.6427
Washington, DC – In an ongoing effort to support vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Washington Literacy Center(WLC) as 1 of 77 DC-based nonprofits to receive the 2020 DC HOPE Community Grant. WLC will receive a $50,000 grant, created by the Federal CARES Act, to support outreach efforts in the impacted communities it serves.
“I am absolutely thrilled to receive a grant that will support the COVID-19 mitigation efforts of Washington DC. We strongly stand behind Mayor Bowser and her vision to help protect the most vulnerable residents of this city, many of whom we have been serving for more than 55 years. Mayor Bowser has become one of the nation’s most respected city leaders during the pandemic crisis, and this is yet another example of her tremendous leadership,” said Washington Literacy Center President & CEO Jimmie Williams.
“On behalf of the Board and the staff of the Washington Literacy Center we are thrilled to receive a grant that will support the COVID-19 mitigation efforts of Washington DC. As an organization committed to preparing DC’s adults for job readiness, we stand behind Mayor Bowser and her vision to help protect the most vulnerable residents. Mayor Bowser is one of the nation’s most respected leaders during the pandemic crisis, and this is an example of her leadership focusing on today’s challenges and preparing residents for life after COVID-19,” said Washington Literacy Center’s Board Chair Daniel Hayden.
Almost 95% of WLC’s students and recipients of educational and support services live in poverty due to their lack of basic education. Many in this same demographic are those who work on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have few options for income, continued education and personal safety.
Director Lamont Akins of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs announced, "Our partnerships are essential in our shared goal of protecting our communities and engaging with our vulnerable populations."
About the Washington Literacy Center
WLC’s goal is to educate and provide skills to adults so they can obtain employment, continue their education and move up the economic ladder to self-sufficiency. WLC helps to reintegrate adults who have already given up or thought they could not go any further in learning. Starting off as an all-volunteer initiative, the WLC has grown into a dynamic nonprofit focused on teaching skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century. We help students overcome some of the most difficult challenges including dyslexia, reading, math, and other barriers to education. We began more than 50 years ago with a mission: to raise the literacy level of adults in Washington, D.C., so they may function on the job, in the family and in society. www.washlit.org
