Literacy Link-Leamos founder, Caroline Baldwin, will be starting a new chapter after 25 years spent helping Grant County families develop literacy skills. Literacy Link-Leamos (LL-L) has a vision for a community where everyone is literate.
LL-L provides free 1:1 tutoring for Basic Adult Literacy, Basic Math, GED/HiSET Exam Prep, English (ESL), and Citizenship Exam Prep. Volunteers with the organization also facilate a Healthy Lifestyles group at the Grant County Detention Center and provide thousands of books to school aged children.
A special project of LL-L, Let's Read has distributed 400,000 new, age-appropriate books from First Book to elementary school students in Silver and Cobre school districts. The project also provides books to Montessori School and Calvary Academy, private schools in Silver City.
Caroline Baldwin has been instrumental in the non-profit's success and has secured funding from United Way, Freeport-McMoRan, Hancock, Frost Foundation, New Mexico Children's Foundation, Nora Roberts Foundation, Silver City Food Coop and many individuals.
Ed and Karen Valentine, retired Jose Barrios teachers, help with Let's Read by ordering books and coordinating book deliveries to schools. Over 35 community volunteers assist with book distribution, providing about 10 new books per year to every Grant County elementary school student. Having books at home and access to a language rich environment is a strong predictor of education success.
During a typical school year, Literacy Link-Leamos has placed 33 orders with First Book National Book Bank and received about 25,000 books for a cost of $ 21,233.80 in shipping / handling fees.
The project has also provided many books to partnering organizations including Head Start, Cobre Summer Fest, Cobre Trunk or Treat, The Commons, Victorian Christmas, Toys for Tots and others.
Pictured here are LL-L Board and Staff Members: Carol Pickering, Pete Henningfeld, Caroline Baldwin Grace Williams, Lora Lisbon, JoAnn Fischer, Nancy Stephens; Not pictured are Joyce Newman and Brian Etheridge.
For more information, please call 575.388.0892 or email
