Colleen Harper Wins United Way 2019 Speaker of the Year Award

Learner and Board member Colleen Harper was recently recognized by the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin with the 2019 Campaign Speaker of the Year Award.

Over the past few years, Colleen has spoken on behalf of Action Read on numerous occasions, which she always approaches with cheerfulness, openness and a relaxed attitude. She has touched countless lives with her charismatic, natural and warm personality, her quick wit, and her amazing storytelling skills. Colleen has explained to our United Way supporters and visitors in the most powerful way why organizations like Action Read need their support, and why they make a difference in people’s lives. In always speaking from the heart and from lived experience, she makes people feel happy and appreciated, validated and motivated to donate or to get involved in their community. When announcing the award recipient, the United Way presenter reported that Colleen had touched more people’s minds and hearts than any other agency speaker they had heard in the 'Seeing is Believing Tours'.

All of us at Action Read greatly appreciate all that you have contributed Colleen, and we are so grateful to you. We are grateful too to the United Way of Guelph Wellington Dufferin for acknowledging your contributions. The recognition is truly deserved. 

Congrats Colleen!

Colleen Harper; December 2019
Photo credit The United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin

Action Read Picnic 2019

The picnic was held at the pavilion at Riverside Park. We had jugglers come from the University of Guelph to teach us how to juggle. I tried really hard to do it. We also got to blow bubbles.

To eat, we had pizza from Domino’s and it was really spicy. Other people brought chips, lots of different salads, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, and all kinds of desserts. I liked some of the food, especially the swiss cheese.

I also saw many of my friends, like Jason, Suzanne and Joanne. It was very fun with so many people. I super liked the Action Read Picnic.

By Tasha Urry

Action Read learner

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Holiday Party 2018

We had another fantastic holiday party!  The food was amazing thanks to the cooking of chefs Stephen Aspinall and Emily Quinton, as well as a team of talented volunteers.  We enjoyed lively Celtic music by Fiona and Mika McCairley. So much fun! Happy Holidays all!

A community party!

Tutor and Board member James with his learner Craig

Laila and Susan share a laugh

Making holiday crafts

Celtic Musicians Fiona and Mika McCairley

Holiday creativity!

Good friends - good conversation

Tasha showing off her new books

Fantastic book donations for our members

Welcome to Adam!

Hello, my name is Adam Gonsalves and I am the new Group Learning Coordinator here at Action Read.  I am happy to join the team here, having come from Grade Learning Center in Milton, where I helped several people gain skills in customer service and Microsoft office, as well as literacy and math.  Prior to that, I was an instructor at Conestoga College, teaching courses for the Liberal Studies and communications department.  In the few months I have been here, I have met so many new people, and seen so many of our learners make strides towards accomplishing their learning goals.  Most recently, I delivered our cashier training course, and helped these learners obtain a certificate in our program. 

Individuals who recently completed Action Read's Cashier Training course

I am thoroughly enjoying helping new and current learners who have joined our Northstar computer groups, our Pre-GED group and currently, our Receptionist Training Program.  I look forward to continuing to provide support for all our learning groups. I am also excited to expand our offerings on Friday mornings by providing support to the online learning platform Good Learning Anywhere. 

Dispatches from "Coming from the Heart"

"Boozhoo" (warm hello)! This group, led by long-time Action Read staff member and elder Jan Sherman, explores creative writing through a First Nations, Metis, and Inuit perspective.

Since returning from the summer break, this devoted group of learners has explored a number of writing topics.  They have responded to quotes from a traditional perspective based on spirit, heart, body, and mind; have written about traditional to contemporary Indigenous music; have written about what a Territorial Acknowledgment means to them and have written responses to other people’s writing from River Bundles a local publication.  They have even done some nature based creative writing exercises (e.g. what kind of tree you would be and why!). Members continue to show greater understanding of their uniqueness as learners at every session.

Jan Sherman discussing the medicine wheel with learners

The group has also explored Anna Bowen’s writing about the land we live on, and spoke to Anna directly when she lead a special class. 

There is so much to cover in this group, and the energy and passion of the learners continue to drive it forward!

Diversity Workshops

In the spring 2018, with the support of the Guelph Community Foundation, Action Read held a series of workshops to celebrate diversity, and to create a comfortable and inspiring context in which to share ideas and experiences around issues of identity, culture, and abilities. Our Project Coordinator Dawn Matheson brought her own unique perspective and considerable experience to the project.  She immediately identified the need to approach each workshop through a “kind and compassionate” lens. Seemingly a small thing, it set a very positive and non-judgmental tone to the project, which served to encourage participation and engagement.

We held six very well attended, highly engaging workshops. The project created new learning partnerships, built new community connections and created a sense of belonging. Workshop topics included spoken word poetry writing and performance, film, advocacy letter writing, music as therapy and community drumming.

Approximately 40 learners participated in the project and all of them agreed that the learning activities were valuable and enriching.

Huge thanks to the Guelph Community Foundation for their support of this special project!

"Music for Community Building" with Gary Diggins

Action Read staff member Laine

Noah Irvine "Mental Health and Addiction. Getting Your Voice Heard" 

"Poetry Potluck" with Kevin Sutton 

"Transported" Workshop with Dawn Matheson

Here are a few comments about what people appreciated about the workshops;

• “The amazing pleasure of trying something I honestly felt I had no “feeling” for or about”

• “The talk about the Syrian and Kenyan Refugees and their stories about their immigration to Canada”

• “The writing round to the poem in a group of four or three.”

• “The inclusivity and open-mindedness.”

• “Interesting stories, all unpredictable and sweet. Gained knowledge about others.”

• “Seeing everyone drum together was awesome!  It was easy for everyone to participate. And it was so fun!”

• “I like the sharing that went around in the room. Also the fact it doesn’t matter where we are from, there is community.”

• “We had a lot of fun and laughter"

• “We created community!"

Northstar is Here!

    Recently, Rotary-Trillium lent Action Read their support in us becoming a brand new site for the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment Program. For now, we are one of only a few sites in Canada, and the interest has been excellent. In a few short weeks, we have promoted the program extensively in the community through presentations and meetings. Update has been strong – there is obviously a great need for basic computer instruction that also offers certificates for job seekers. Huge thanks to Rotary-Trillium for their support.

    Give Action Read a call at 519-836-2759 if you want more information.

Northstar learners showing off their certificates!  Source: Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment Program

Learning about Dyslexia

Last Wednesday Action Read tutor Mel Stronach, with the assistance of her learning partner Colleen Harper, gave a fantastic workshop on working with dyslexia.  Mel is a high school teacher who also recently trained on the Orton-Gillingham method for teaching literacy to individuals with dyslexia.

Mel’s presentation was riveting! She and Colleen shared lots of hands on practical examples, reflections, and experiences.  Mel went over the role of grapheme / phoneme correspondences, spelling strategies, auditory, kinesthetic and visual strategies, suffixes, etymology and much more in the workshop. Fortunately, she created a binder filled with strategies and ideas for other to use if they were unable to make it out.  Speak to staff if you’d like to check it out. 

Mel and Colleen sharing their wisdom!

Multi-sensory resources that Mel and Colleen use in their learning sessions.

Listening closely

Aboriginal Writing Group Poem

Action Read's Aboriginal Writing Group meets weekly to work on reading and writing skills, and to make connections to indigenous worldviews and principles. These include the importance of balance, storytelling and community; the significance of elders, respect for traditional knowledge and connection to the land; the importance of silence and listening, experiential learning and mentorship, and much more. The group also learns about the seven grandfather teachings and honouring and connecting learning to the different aspects of the medicine wheel - intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual.

Informed by this approach to learning, the following poem was created by the group in observation and celebration of the beauty and colour of the changing seasons. We hope you enjoy the vivid images and feelings they create!

2017 AGM and 30th Anniversary Celebration

We enjoyed a wonderful jam-packed AGM and 30^th anniversary celebration on September 27^th. We celebrated the work and accomplishments of our members in 2016-2017, and looked back with much fondness at 30 years of history, successes and stories.

Jane Tuer Executive Director of Project Read Literacy Network gave a terrific presentation. Then Joanne, Laura Sumner and Celina Whaling-Rae launched their incredible new film done at Action Read called ' Finding Our Voice - Stories from Adult Literacy Learners'. 

In 1987 Action Read started with a dream to help those who couldn’t find employment due to basic skill gaps. In fact, Action Read was initially a project of the Centre for Employable Workers. Action Read set out to pair individuals who wanted help with trained community volunteers. From there, small group learning, family literacy and computer based programs quickly emerged.  In 1991 Action Read became an independently incorporated charity. Throughout the 1990s, we moved several times to accommodate growing demand.  

For 17 years we were located at the Park Mall building in downtown Guelph, and in 2017 we came here! While many changes have occurred at Action Read since 1987, we remain a community-based agency committed to learner-centred programming, involvement and accessibility – the values that propelled us forward from the beginning. Here are some highlights from our celebration...

Reviewing the Annual Report prior to getting started

Hosts with the most! Shawn Knight and Renee O'Drowsky

Outgoing chair and all round awesome volunteer Jeff Guitard!

Life is sweet...What would a celebration be without cake?!

Some of our members

Doris Middleton Award Winner Colleen Harper (right) with her tutor Mel and Doris's daughter Sherri Gosse

From Project Read's Presentation (Gosh, golly, gee-whiz ;) )

Cassi's Story

Cassi

Action Read was first recommended to me three years ago by my job coach. Since being here, I have participated in a variety of roles.  I am a learner, front desk volunteer and a learner representative on the Board of Directors. The most surprising experience I had when first coming to Action Read, was how much I enjoy math. I never expected that I would like it let alone find it fun.  It turned out I did! The most rewarding experience I’ve had since coming to Action Read was last year when I won the Doris Middleton Memorial Award. At the time, I had no idea I had won, so receiving the award was an extremely exciting moment. The award is given to women that have overcome challenges in their lives. I am much more outgoing and self-confident.  With the confidence I have gained, I am planning to get my GED to go to school for social work. Currently I share my story at different events in the community. I am also proud to be United Way Agency speaker during their campaign.  My dream is to work with troubled youth to help them see that there’s hope in the future. To help get my story heard, I am currently writing about it to prove to others that there can be a happy ending.                                                                                  

                                         

Be Good to Yourself

By Joanne Morant, Action Read Tutor-Learner Coordinator

The days get shorter and the sun hides behind the looming snow clouds.  It is a busy time of year as we prepare for the holidays. During this time, like a lot of people I tend to socialize more, spend more, eat more, do more and sleep less. By the time January comes around I feel exhausted, and by the time February arrives the winter blahs have settled in.

Self-care doesn’t come naturally to me.  I still insist on putting everything else before my own needs. I go into over-serving mode during the holidays to make sure everything is ready, and everyone has the “best holiday ever”.

So what steps do I need to take now to help me through the holidays and winter months until spring arrives?

Everyone has different ways and ideas to help with self-care. These are a few of mine for this holiday season!

1. Get more sleep – 8 hours is my goal. Turn off the TV and sit quietly with a cup of herbal tea for a half hour before bed.

2. Read – my pile of unread books seems to grow each month! Losing myself in a good book will take my mind off all the holiday preparation.

(Let's hope Joanne's pile of books isn't as big as the donation we received from the Retired Teachers this year!)

3. Make and stick to a budget – not the easiest for me. The best places I have found to shop during the holidays are the used book stores, second hand stores (so many interesting and unusual things I could spend hours just browsing), Christmas church bazaars and the grocery store.  My sons have always appreciated a nice bottle of olive oil or specialty vinegar at this time of year and it doesn’t cost a lot.

4. Smile – the more I smile and laugh, the better I feel.

5. Bake – this always put me in the holiday spirit especially listening to music I enjoy. It feels great to share with others some tasty treats.

6. Un-schedule – so many people to see and things to do in a short period of time. Instead of rushing around here and there I will set some time aside in January to visit friends and family. There will be more time to spend together and less stress for everyone.

7. Ask for help – this year when my family gets together it will be pot-luck instead of preparing everything myself. What I always seem to forget is how much others like to cook, experiment with a new recipes and enjoy bringing a dish that they made to share. It is about being together during the holiday.

8. Finish a project (or start a new one) – it could be a craft or an art project. Mine is a needle point I began 3 years ago. Take time out to do something I enjoy!

Give yourself permission to engage in activities that make you feel happy and less stressed during the holidays. Make time to go for a walk, have coffee with a friend, volunteer or just sit down with a good book.

I am going to tape my list to the fridge and it will stay through January, February, March………

Miriam, Gabe and Deb showing us how to kick back by channeling their inner rock stars!

Andrew's Story

Andrew

I first came to Action Read to upgrade my skills to get my high school diploma. My girlfriend, at the time, already attended Action Read and recommended that I come check it out. Several years later I am still enjoying the community and learning experiences each week. I was asked if I would like to participate in an art event called “Talking Trees”. I had to pick a quote from Shakespeare that I could relate to and read it out loud. It started my journey of learning and loving Shakespeare! I am so grateful to have Action Read. I now have a better understanding of the world around me. I also appreciate the amount of times that is put into various projects at the centre.  I am most proud of my new skills and abilities to write stories. Using my imagination in unusual ways helps me express myself differently that I would have thought of before. I have already written two books and hope to write a sequel to one of them creating more bizarre animals and strange worlds. 

Amanda's Story

Amanda

I wanted to work on getting my GED and I heard about Action Read from a friend. I always thought that it took me a long time to learn something new, but to my surprise I have been working through the GED material quickly. The best part of coming to Action Read is how friendly and accepting everyone is. It is a great learning environment.  Being able to read is a huge gift. It gives me the ability to navigate day to day life.  Not everyone is as lucky. I write a lot of poetry about empowerment, especially for women. I think it is important for them to know that they don’t have to stay in a cycle of unhappiness and abuse.

For fun, I also really enjoy writing lists and indexes. My long term goal is to complete my GED, and then continue to post-secondary education to study art – which is my passion! If I were to write a book about anything, it would include sci-fi/mythology stories with vampires and lots of other frightening creatures and characters.    

Learner Story Series

 

This spring, Action Read staff and board members had the good fortune of participating in a job coaching project with Royal Roads University graduate students.  It was an intense process which produced some interesting results. At the end of the project, the coaching team provided Action Read with numerous questions to help our team grow and develop the organization. An area of particular concern to us was how to develop and communicate our mission and vision to members of the public.

One particular question the coaching team asked Action Read was: how can you use the power of stories to bring people together and build excitement around your work? With that in mind, we have been looking at different ways that we can tell the stories of courage and strength that we see each day at Action Read. 

• We want to tell you what brings our learners to Action Read.
• What they have achieved. 
• What has been the most surprising, rewarding and challenging parts of their  journey?
• What are our learners’ long-term goals and dreams?

Over the coming months, we will answer these questions by periodically posting stories shared (with permission of course) from our learners.  We hope you enjoy reading these stories and learning about these amazing people! 

Recognizing the Achievements of our Members!

Each year at the Annual General Meeting, Action Read recognizes the contributions and achievements of individuals who have made a particular difference to our community and our mission over the past year. Choosing recipients is very difficult as there are always so many deserving candidates. Here are the recipients for 2015-2016:

Betty Bean Kennedy Award for Outstanding Volunteer

Like many of our learners, Emmett O’Neill quit school at the age of 16. He later returned to school where he came to love learning and eventually became a high school teacher for over 25 years. Retired from teaching, Emmett was keen to continue to help others to improve their skills.

Over the past 3 years, Emmett has worked intensively with two Action Read learners. Both have made amazing progress, benefitting from Emmett’s significant talent as an educator and his immense dedication and experience. Emmett’s unwavering patience, flexibility and encouragement are particularly appreciated by learners and staff alike.

Last year, Emmett faced a life threatening illness. During all the treatments and surgeries, he remained fully committed to his tutoring. When feeling well enough, he arranged to meet his learner whenever possible. Emmett continues to inspire us all with his passion and enthusiasm for lifelong learning. Our sincere thanks Emmett!

The Doris Middleton Award

Deb Donaldson

This award is given to a learner who exemplifies the dedication to learning, spirit and humour of the woman who inspired it. Without question, Debbie Donaldson is one such woman! Deb’s commitment to learning and to growing as a writer can only be described as exceptional. Deb came to Action Read to work on her computer skills, but “stumbled across” poetry in the process.   Deb graces the centre with unwavering focus,  dedication and a sunny attitude. Recently, Deb found the courage to speak publicly about her difficulties with learning in her life. She touched many people when she performed her spoken word poem at our 2016 fundraiser. Since coming to Action Read Deb has written and self-published 3 poetry books. She states “I feel capable, empowered, self-confident and enthusiastic about my progress”.  We are proud of you Deb and look forward to more poetry!

Shirley Almack Award for Learner Leadership

Shawn Knight

Shirley Almack was an Action Read Member who inspired many people around her with her courage, strength and leadership.

This year’s award goes to Shawn Knight. Shawn has made leaps and bounds in his reading and writing abilities, and his passion for personal growth and organizational governance is truly inspiring. Last year, Shawn’s newfound self-confidence in his skills meant that he felt ready to take on the responsibility of a   Learner Position on the Board of Directors. In this role, Shawn has continually demonstrated focus, commitment and a collaborative spirit. He has contributed his insights and opinions, and has listened intently to those of others with kindness and openness. Shawn also leant his support to our annual fundraiser by gathering donations for the silent auction and helping with ticket sales. Shawn is always eager to learn or to quietly lend a hand, and is a valued member of the Action Read community. Congratulations Shawn!

The Action Read Community Award 

Art Kilgour of WriteDesign

We are happy to give our 2016 Community Award to Art Kilgour of WriteDesign.  For many years, Art has supported Action Read through gorgeous design work, as seen through our logo, brochure, several of our books and signs.  Art just ‘gets’ Action Read - has always   understood what we stand for and the importance of Clear Language and Design in our work. Furthermore, WriteDesign has generously and consistently supported our fundraising efforts in a variety of ways over the years. He and his partner Nichola have attended events, and have shared contacts and connections to promote the work of Action Read in the community. For these reasons, and many more, we are grateful to count you as a friend Art, and delighted to publicly recognize your longtime contribution to Action Read’s growth and evolution.

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