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Vital People: Alliance serves as collaborative hub for literacy groups

Finding services or people to collaborate on events, write grant proposals or share data is as easy as A-B-C for southern Vancouver Island literacy organizations, thanks to services provided by the Greater Victoria Alliance for Literacy.
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Janine Hannis in the office of the Greater Victoria Alliance For Literacy, an umbrella group that enables more than 30 literacy groups in the community to work collaboratively and share research and human resources. Hannis says while most people in B.C. have a basic level of literacy, some who lack advanced literacy are being left behind. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST

Finding services or people to collaborate on events, write grant proposals or share data is as easy as A-B-C for southern Vancouver Island literacy organizations, thanks to services provided by the Greater Victoria Alliance for Literacy.

Most small literacy organizations in the Capital Regional District are volunteer-based with minimal staff. One of the region’s largest literacy organizations operates with only two full-time staff members overseen by a half-time executive director.

With funding from the Victoria Foundation, the Greater Victoria Alliance for Literacy enables more than 30 literacy groups in the community to work collaboratively, share research and human resources.

“I am a matchmaker because nobody has it all,” said Janine Hannis, one of the founding members of the alliance, which is run by a steering committee made up of local literacy organizations.

“I believe we have more clout when we come together, so I help set up meetings and bring literacy organizations together on a regular basis to network. We collaborate on events, collaborate on grant applications, develop and share data and also share volunteers and host professional development opportunities.”

Hannis said that while many literacy organizations in the south Island region are small, they all bring something different to the table. Certain organizations focus on children with learning disabilities, some organizations focus on newcomers and others on one-on-one tutoring.

Her vision is for the alliance to be the centre of a literacy hub, where everyone works together and grows “stronger together.”

The goal of the group is to address the “shockingly” high level of low literacy in the province.

“Yes, most people do have a basic level of literacy enough to read and write, but it’s the higher level of literacy, the types of literacy that allow people to gain meaningful employment, secure housing, food security, that is actually quite low,” said Hannis.

“Functional literacy yes, but advanced literacy that allows a person to be comfortable reading long passages with comprehension, navigating government forms, living and even thriving in an increasingly digital world, this is where the gap tends to widen. Those with low levels of literacy are being left behind.”

She believes that the alliance can ultimately help organizations receive funding as well.

Grantors want to see collaboration in their grant applications because it shows how the different organizations can get more bang for the buck by sharing resources.

“It is sustainable and I believe it to be the model of the future,” said Hannis. “We hope to continue getting funding from Victoria Foundation to carry on our important work.”

parrais@timescolonist.com