Editors’ Notes

As we prepared this issue of The Exchange, we were struck by how active the GMLC has become in bringing the issues of literacy to the wider public, and how much the organization has changed over the last several years.

Milwaukee Literacy Initiative

Much of the increased activity grows out of the Milwaukee Literacy Initiative, a yearlong campaign developed by the GMLC to enlist the help of area businesses, public representatives and organizations in reducing the shameful rate of 27% functional illiteracy in the city. Some current activities include:

International Literacy Awareness Day

In the past, we might have simply notified our members that September 8 is a special day. This year, GMLC will have tables and activities at locations throughout the area (see page 3). Volunteers are needed to staff those tables and carry out those activities. To help, call Tracy Loken Weber at 414-643-5108 X103.

Public Relations Efforts

These include creation of the www.HelpMilwaukeeRead.org Web page to recruit volunteers, and various ways of spreading the word, including bus placards; 10,000 bookmarks distributed to other agencies, libraries and businesses; banners, and newspaper ads. The Public Relations Committee also has produced an appealing, updated GMLC brochure, and is in the process of setting up a GMLC Speakers Bureau.
All of these efforts require the thoughtful contributions of many volunteers. To help, contact Mary Moze at mozem@matc.edu.

GMLC Annual Meeting and Dinner

Thanks to Dawn Lauber, Janet Nortrom and Eileen Marotte for putting together this event, which promises to be truly stimulating. Be sure to attend. Be sure to get your membership up to date so you can vote for new board members. Pick up your Annual Report and copies of the new brochure, and use them to talk to others about the work of the GMLC. Volunteers are needed to help with registration and general flow of the multifaceted event. To help, contact Dawn Lauber at dlaube@mpl.org.

As you can see, increased activity by the GMLC requires increased activity by our members – YOU. With 14 affiliate members and several new individual members, GMLC’s ranks are growing. But the work at hand requires that all those members be active and take part in planning and carrying out events.

To help with the time crunch, GMLC has eliminated two general membership meetings each year – June and November. That should give every one of you at least two hours to volunteer for other GMLC activities. Please do it.

--Kathy Mulvey and Mary Moze

GMLC unveils new marketing brochure

The Public Relations (PR) Committee has been diligently working over the summer to create a new marketing brochure for GMLC. The resulting pamphlet will be ready to distribute on International Literacy Day, Sept. 8, 2006, at our booths at the three Barnes & Noble stores and at Johnson Creek.

The committee decided to use some of the text and information from the previous brochure, added some updated statistics, the Web site link, and membership options, and then made it much more visually appealing by adding photos and color. Several of the photos were supplied by our affiliate members so you may recognize some people.

Many thanks to Annabelle Havlicek, graphic designer, who worked with our ideas to produce the new brochure and who also worked with the printer to bring our thoughts into being.

The brochure also will be available at the GMLC Annual Meeting on September 21. Please pick up your copy, plus additional copies to distribute to any potential members, donors and tutors. If you have any comments to share about the brochure, please e-mail them to me at mozem@matc.edu.

--Mary Moze