Literacy Council still helping immigrant students in Washington County during pandemic
Through its English as a Second Language classes, the Literacy Council of Southwestern Pennsylvania has worked hard to provide local immigrants with language skills they need to find jobs and be involved with their communities.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, however, the role of the literacy council has expanded, and the nonprofit is also helping students find solutions to unemployment and other woes, while still managing to provide literacy classes six days a week.
“When (the state) shut down public schools, we shut down too, and I was afraid we were going to lose this crown jewel that helps so many people,” said Kris Drach, a tutor and literacy council board member.
Instead, Drach and Executive Director Brandi Miller turned to Zoom to continue its individual and group literacy classes, and landed two grants to assist students with expenses and to establish distance learning classes.
“We are continuing to try to help the immigrant population in Washington County as much as we can,” said Miller.
Drach estimates about 25% of students enrolled in classes at the literacy council lost their jobs, while others had hours cut or chose to remain at home with children when schools closed.
Miller said many of the immigrant students who have green cards or work visas don’t have Social Security numbers, so they do not qualify for government assistance, and are ineligible for safety nets available through social programs and other assistance.
“Most of our students don’t have Social Security numbers and aren’t eligible for stimulus checks, and they’re unable to file for unemployment,” said Miller.
With a $20,000 matching grant from the Washington County Community Foundation’s Close to Home Disaster and Emergency Fund, the literacy council launched a Student Emergency Relief Fund to assist immigrant students. The organization has been able to purchase grocery cards, gas cards, and gift cards to help students pay for utilities and other expenses.
Tutor Erin Vitale, ESL coordinator for Intermediate Unit 1 – which helped identify families in need of SERF – said the program has been a “tremendous help to our families who were having difficulty during this unprecedented time.”
“They’ve been very appreciative of the assistance. We didn’t want to see any student, child or adult struggle through this,” said Vitale.
The council also reached out to Intermediate Unit 1, which assists with teaching K-12 students of immigrant families to identify families in need who could benefit from SERF.
The nonprofit has been helping about 50 to 60 families a week since the program began in April, and Drach said the literacy council plans to incorporate emergency assistance into its mission.
Additionally, many students have limited access to a computer and the internet, so the literacy council used another $20,000 grant from WCCF to purchase Chromebooks and MIFIs to teach classes remotely.
So far, the council has purchased 20 Chromebooks and MIFIs, and is waiting for additional laptops on back order to be delivered.
The Zoom classes have been working out well, said Drach.
“I had to learn how to do Zoom,” she said laughing, noting that many of the Literacy Council’s 50 certified teachers are in their 60s and older, and had begun to jump on the platform to talk with grandchildren and church families during the shelter-in-place orders. “Our students Zoomed to their home countries all the time already, so they were used to talking and communicating on the computer.”
Social distancing, too, has had an impact on the students, who find camaraderie and friendships among their peers and tutors.
“The classes help the students tremendously. Sometimes, the classes are their only social outlet. They are so eager for the classes – they want them all the time. If they don’t have them, they sometimes have no other social interaction,” said Miller. “It helps them a lot. Our students want to learn, and they want to see their friends. It’s nice to get together and check in on each other.”
Vitale said the tutors have been excited to reconnect with students, too, and said the classes have provided some normalcy.
Drach said the literacy council and its tutors are motivated to continue to provide opportunities for the area’s immigrant population, despite the pandemic and the economic and societal problems it has created.
“We made lemonade out of lemons,” said Drach. “The motivation, to be honest, is we are their last line. We’re the portal to American life for them. If we don’t provide that window for them to climb through, it’s not going to be there. They’re the hardest-working, kindest, most generous people I’ve met. I don’t ever want to let them down.”