Ferris Nonprofit Launches Fundraising Campaign to Battle Rural Illiteracy

DALLAS - June 16, 2015 - PRLog -- According to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults — 14 percent of the population — can’t read, and 21 percent of adults read below a 5th grade level. In addition, 19 percent of high school graduates are illiterate.

A new nonprofit organization hopes to tackle this problem as it persists in rural Texas. The J and C Learning Center (JCLC) will combat illiteracy by offering low-cost tutoring to folks in Northern Ellis County, which includes the towns of Ferris, Ennis, Red Oak, Rocket and Palmer. This is a rapidly growing, rural area south of Dallas badly in need of services such as ESL, tutoring and STEM programs.

In order to launch a full range of literacy services offered by qualified professionals throughout the 2015 - 2016 academic year, the JCLC is working to raise $100,000 in funding through various channels, from crowdfunding to online donations, grants, private donations and corporate sponsorships.

JCLC’s strategic plan involves hiring staff, moving into a permanent location and incorporating volunteer staff, recruiting college students from Cedar Valley Community College in Lancaster and Navarro College in Corsicana.

Services provided will include a range of tutoring sessions and interactive classes as well as ESL and work-readiness training. The JCLC will provide career opportunities to members of the community by partnering with nationally-known businesses such as Whirlpool, Proctor and Gamble and FedEx, all located in the Northern Ellis County corridor.

JCLC will be the only program of its kind in the Northern Ellis County. The Ferris Library currently offers tutoring after school to Ferris residents free of charge; however the service is limited to Ferris Independent School District students. No adult literacy classes are available.

JCLC was founded by Executive Director Marvella Powell, a mother of two and the wife of a retired veteran who saw a need after years of donating her time tutoring at the local Ferris library.

“The program started out of our passion to raise awareness of the problem of illiteracy and out of my desire to teach people to read as a way to engage them in social change within the community,” Powell said. “We will offer a customized, challenging and rewarding tutoring program that will allow each and every individual to flourish on an educational and academic level.”

Anyone interested in making a tax-exempt donation to the J and C Learning Center, a registered 501(c)3 organization, can contact Powell by phone at 214.907.5523 or by email at marvellapowell@jandclearningcenter.org.

About the J and C Learning Center

The mission of JCLC is to ensure that all members of the community obtain the learning skills that are needed to improve their quality of life. The organization will address the need for improving literacy in people of all ages in the community by emphasizing the importance of education as it pertains to the community improvement. For information about the J and C Learning Center, visit their website at www.jandclearningcenter.org or follow the JCLC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-C-Learning-Center/160796....