The Literacy Connection’s third annual Resource Fair celebrates National Literacy Month

The Literacy Connection is hosting its third annual Resource Fair on Thursday, Sept. 17. The free family-friendly event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Centre Elgin’s Heritage Ballroom, 100 Symphony Way.

This year’s theme is “Every Hand Holds a Story” and the fair will feature informational flyers and resources from 25 social services organizations from Elgin and surrounding areas. There will be light snacks, a story wall, activities for families, storytelling, raffles, and giveaways.

The Literacy Connection is a nonprofit organization based in Elgin with a mission of providing free, quality literacy programming to adult learners seeking to improve their skills in reading, writing, and speaking English to improve their personal, social, and economic lives. The organization has been in service since 1984.

The organization has an adult volunteer literacy program which offers one-on-one and small group tutoring, conversation classes, and FeelFluent Chasers English as a Second Language classes for learners on the tutoring wait list.

The other main program is Family Literacy in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of South Elgin. Parents attend English as a Second Language classes at the clubhouse while their children (kindergarten to eighth grade) receive Boys & Girls Club services.

Other components of the Family Literacy program include parenting sessions, library services (in partnership with the Gail Borden Public Library) and interactive learning activities for both parents and children.

Funding for these important programs is provided by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Secretary of State’s office. Other grantors include Elgin Township, The Seigle Foundation, The Alfred Bersted Foundation, and Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

September is National Literacy Month and The Literacy Connection is running an online campaign on its website and social media titled “Let’s Write a New Chapter, Together.”

Donations will help offset costs for teaching materials, books, digital literacy hardware like Wi-Fi hot spots, and more items that help learners attain their literacy dreams.

There is also an opportunity for businesses and organizations to sponsor this event to support adult literacy while also promoting their products and services. For information, visit elginliteracy.org.