Update from Local Second Hand Bookstore

 In this edition drawing attention to our:

Outreach Program in the Vancouver Island Correctional Centre. 

This is another of our programs whose time has come. Partnering together with

Corrections Management and John Howard Society, we have already achieved success but our intention is to achieve much more. 

Together we plan to establish a leading model that engages increasing numbers of inmates and presents many of them with an offer they can’t refuse.

 

Supports are in place that will help them be successful when released but everyone involved knows there are many other influences out there that will impact his decisions.  

We only have time to plant the seeds, pass on some new skills and give a glimmer of hope.

Will we be there to carry on if he is not successful this time? You betcha because that’s what it takes, we are in the hope business. I am not speaking about the percentage of inmates that cannot be helped...

When people suffer abuse and trauma throughout childhood, coping and survival skills along with hyper vigilance become deeply imbedded, sometimes a set of circumstance, even if self-created, will bring unbearable fears to the surface causing another string of impulsive choices. 

The primal need to survive is often at any cost.

Recovering and becoming well is a choice followed by a difficult process. It takes courage.

Literacy Central is a very unique organization, one of a kind. We can reach much deeper and have much more of an impact because of valuable partnerships. We are developing models within the model. Over time we hope to be in a position to share our findings, efforts, successes and challenges with other communities that feel our experiences would be helpful with their particular challenges.

...while in the midst of a cultural shift in our organization.

Projects of this nature and timeline require assembling the right team, a shared vision (enthusiasm), reason-able budget estimates, a willingness to risk “failing forward” (a tip to one of my favorite leadership thinkers, John Maxwell) and leadership from the ground up.

When staff and volunteers throughout the organization have the support and freedom to explore and test critical, independent thinking, combine it with their experience and knowledge and actively share their thoughts and suggestions, we make better decisions as a
result.

Relationship building and trust are critical for this leadership model to succeed.  The potential  results on many levels soars above most other models, particularly in the Not for Profit world where 'taking ownership' nurtures the soul of the organization.

Enjoy life long learning and life long adventures! 

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Corrections Canada 2003 Research:

Offenders without a high school diploma -79%

Offenders who tested lower than grade 10 - 82%

Offenders who tested lower than grade 8 - 65%

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Source: http://www.literacycentralvi.org/newslett/sepoct09/sepoct09.pdf