Mission Statement

The mission of the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County is to end intergenerational cycles of illiteracy by improving adult literacy skills and generating community-wide literacy awareness.

History

Giving the Gift of Literacy Since 1987

Sitting around a kitchen table in 1987, a few committed individuals recognized the crippling effect of illiteracy and how teaching reading, writing and speaking skills can change people’s lives by opening to them a world of opportunity. Their vision became Literacy Volunteers of Fort Bend County, dba Literacy Council of Fort Bend County (LCFBC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating illiteracy in Fort Bend County. For 19 years, LCFBC has strived to fill gaps in literacy services for people who are in need, have the capabilities to learn, and the desire to move forward in life.

LCFBC serves adults who have made the commitment to help themselves by changing their lives through the literacy program. The organization’s goal is to aid families crippled by the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and social disadvantage by providing a strong, educational foundation through one-on-one Basic Literacy tutoring, small group instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), classroom instruction in GED preparation, our Job Readiness workshop series and Badges and Books, a cooperation with area police departments to get books into the hands of children who have few, if any, books of their own. LCFBC serves those at the lowest levels of literacy, focusing on an ethnically diverse population made up primarily of low to very low-income clientele.

Moving from the kitchen, LCFBC took up residence in a small, one-room office located on the campus of a community college. Demand for classes quickly outgrew this space, so when the City of Sugar Land offered non-profits the opportunity to use a 1,500 square foot, one classroom building, LCFBC jumped at the chance. Now in the 6,000 square foot Literacy Center in Sugar Land - the result of a very successful Capital Campaign – LCFBC makes full use of six classrooms along with a resource library, conference room, training room and office space. In addition to offering classes in the Literacy Center, LCFBC offers classes at many other locations throughout all of Fort Bend County, making it convenient for students and tutors.

No longer alone in its endeavors for a more literate Fort Bend County, LCFBC has joined other Fort Bend County literacy agencies to make literacy a top priority for county residents. The Literacy Council was asked to become a ‘clearinghouse’ for literacy needs and in February of 2000 the ‘Literacy Hotline’ was created. The Hotline, 281-980-7323 (READ), is an efficient referral service that helps to connect clients with a literacy agency that best fits their needs.

LCFBC achieved full accreditation with Literacy Volunteers of America in 2001. Accreditation standards included policies and procedures relating to tutor training, trainer certification, board procedures and agency management. Accreditation for LCFBC means that the organization provides effective nonprofit management, excellent volunteer tutor training and quality literacy instruction. On October 1, 2002, the world’s two largest adult volunteer literacy organizations, Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc., merged to become Pro Literacy Worldwide. In the United States it represents some 1,450 adult volunteer literacy organizations.

Since LCFBC's inception in 1987, 2,099 volunteers have donated 379,109hours of their personal time to tutor more than 15,411 adult learners. This equates to $9,477,725 being given back to the community in donated services, using the minimum rate of $25.00 per hour charged by private tutors.