The Lee, Massachusetts-based Literacy Network – better known as LitNet – began its work pairing students with one-on-one language teachers in 1991.
“We have seen record numbers in terms of the learners we've served- In 2023, we had 330 adults that we served, we have the longest waiting list that we've ever had, here's a lot of activity going on and a lot of needs," said Executive Director Leigh Doherty. “We provide volunteer tutors to adults in Berkshire County, who wants to improve their English, or work on adult basic education skills, GED skills, workplace skills.”
LitNet often works with immigrants in the Berkshire community. As Massachusetts struggled to provide housing to an influx of migrants beginning in Spring 2023, the county has accepted families who were placed out the state’s emergency shelter system.
“We've welcomed some Haitians to our community, both in Pittsfield and Great Barrington as of late, and we're working to support them,” Doherty told WAMC.
Doherty says LitNet is focused on growing its mission from beyond its bread-and-butter language tutoring.
“While our mission remains the same, to transform lives, we're taking it to a new step lately," she said. "We figured English, we've been doing really well, and that's a first step to changing one's life. We've become more interested lately in new opportunities, which include supporting first generation college students in the process of getting to college, and also workplace curriculum and other opportunities in careers. So how does one get from the dish room or the housekeeping to new opportunities, to understand other job opportunities to continue to move their life forward? So those are some new things we've been involved in that we're really excited about.”
The nonprofit’s evolution reflects the same growth and change it sees among its clients.
“We've been around for 33 years- Some of our learners have been with us for many years, and now they have children that are either documented or undocumented, that live here in our community," explained Doherty. "Potentially, they have much better English, and now they're saying what are their choices in life? How can they move on? So, a lot of responsibility in an immigrant family to move your family forward. So, we want to support those young people in making those choices? What does college look like? How do you fund college? Are you welcome at that table? So, we're really kind of seeing it as multigenerational, of looking to serve the children of our learners over years.”
To that end, LitNet is bringing on new staff.
“One of our new hires is a young woman who's our first gen college coordinator," Doherty continued. "She's part time, but she is a young woman who is a first gen college student herself. So, she's helping us understand the needs of that community. And the other additional staff is an expansion of a position. Amanda Giracca, who writes grants and does our communication is our new programs coordinator, and together we're going to be brainstorming what are the needs of the community? We know that jobs and moving forward are the needs, but what is our mission-related services in that vein to help the community?”
Doherty says LitNet’s new mission will be developed in real time through coordination with the population it serves.
“We noticed that there was no access to the financial aid form for college available in Spanish," she told WAMC. "So, we've created that need with the support of our funders, and with Daisy, my first generation college coordinator, we've gone out and said, we're going to provide this need. We partnered with [Berkshire Community College’s] financial aid office. So, we're really just trying to keep our ear to the ground and not make up programs behind closed doors, but to go into the community and learn, what does the immigrant community need? What do first generation students need? How can we help the immigrants in our community move forward and be successful?”
