Stories

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
-Dr. Seuss

Last month was National Reading Month but at SHARE Detroit, we are proud that many nonprofits on our platform have missions that support reading, literacy and education.

While there is no doubt that all of the nonprofits on our SHARE platform are leaving a significant impact, we are happy to recognize the following few that support the value of reading and literacy.

InsideOut Literary Arts

InsideOut's mission is to inspire students to think broadly, create bravely, and share their voices with the wider world.

Since 1995, InsideOut Literary Arts has helped over 65,000 youth in Detroit build their literary and academic skills through creative writing.

Check out InsideOut At Home on our website. It's a virtual resource that provides young people with high-quality creative writing lessons

Dominican Literacy Center

With the startling statistic that 43 million adults in the U.S. cannot read, write or compute math above a third-grade level, organizations like the Dominican Literacy Center are critical to address this issue. DLC is an adult basic education program that offers free tutoring in literacy, ESL and math, as well as GED and computer classes. DLC provides free tutoring to over 300 learners per year.

Tutors are welcomed at DLC and training to become a tutor is free. They host Volunteer Training on May 1st. Join them! 

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

In 1984 Debra Bonde founded Seedlings from her basement in Detroit. She found that braille materials were scarce and expensive, and unfortunately, still are, sometimes costing more than $100 per book. Debra's goals were to increase the availability and lower the cost of braille books for children in order to promote their literacy skills and the love of reading.

In 2020, with a small staff and a group of loyal volunteers, Seedlings produced nearly 30,000 braille books and articles, 60% of which were given away for free! The others were distributed at an average cost of just $10 per book. Since 1984, Seedlings has distributed a grand total of 608,885 books. This equates to over 25 million pages of braille!

As President Barack Obama said, “Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy we are living in today.” 

This theme unifies us and displays the value and importance that education and reading carry in our country and the world. On behalf of SHARE Detroit, thank you to these organizations and all who serve the mission of education and literacy in our community. Visit all of our education and literacy nonprofits at www.ShareDetroit.org.Thank you.