The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce is proud to have numerous nonprofit businesses in our membership. Learn more about our July Member of the Month, the Literacy Council of Frederick County below.
The Literacy Council teaches adults critical literacy skills so they can provide for their families, support their children’s education, and become an integral part of the community.
Interview with Laurie Fisher, Executive Director
Tell us about how the Literacy Council started and what programs you offer.
The Literacy Council was founded in Frederick County in 1963 by members of Church Women United who organized a migrant literacy program to help migrant workers learn to read. After discovering that many Frederick County adults also needed reading help, the one-to-one tutoring program was offered year-round by trained volunteer tutors.
Today, our programs include: individual/small group tutoring, community classes, parent literacy and workplace classes. Our Parent Literacy Program partners with four FCPS elementary schools and the Judy Center to provide tutors to support parents. We are currently working with employers in the hospitality and manufacturing industries to provide workplace English classes that focus on job-related vocabulary and tasks, and everyday life skills. We are excited to celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2023!
How has being a member of the Chamber helped you as a non-profit?
Joining the Chamber of Commerce is one of the ways the Literacy Council can engage with other members of the community, including through the Nonprofit Alliance. The opportunity to work closely within a close-knit community to respond to the immediate and long term needs in a collaborative environment is one of the best things about being in Frederick.
We are a small nonprofit, so membership in the Chamber helps to connect us with resources, best practices, and networks that contribute to building our capacity and expanding programs, such as our Workplace Literacy Program that conducts workplace English classes for employees of small businesses.
What do you want the Literacy Council to be known for?
Literacy lifts lives. We see this everyday through the triumphs experienced by the adult learners in our programs. Consider what it takes today to apply for a job, health insurance, access resources for your sick child, get a driver’s license, support your children’s education … Everyone needs to be able to navigate these scenarios on almost a daily basis, and need to have critical literacy skills. The Literacy Council provides a safe, learner-centered environment where adults can attain everyday life skills so they can more fully engage in our community as a parent, employee and neighbor.
How can Chamber members and members of the community support the Literacy Council?
Become a Literacy Council volunteer tutor or community class instructor! Training is provided and you will join a team of over 100 dedicated volunteers who help everyday to transform lives through literacy. As a small nonprofit, other ways to help include making a financial contribution, donating school supplies for Stuff the Bus each summer, and donating children’s books for our Parent Literacy Program.
Upcoming Volunteer Training Schedule
Volunteer Inquiry and Registration Form
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.