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Oregon Literacy launches the "Learner Web" an online service that will grow to provide comprehensive, organized resources for adults engaged in self-directed study. This project received financial support from Oregon's Library Services & Technology Act [LSTA] www.lsta.org.

Read Across Oregon, an annual March read-a-thon to support adult literacy, raises over $13,000 for adult literacy programs in Oregon. Thanks to Starbucks volunteer program for making this possible!

Oregon Literacy launches the "Tutor HelpLine", a free service to support volunteer tutors all across Oregon. This project was launched with backing from Verizon Foundation, Washington Mutual, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, California Casualty, and the Oregon Community Foundation.

Oregon Literacy becomes a partner with Portland Literacy Council to host Chalk It Up for Literacy, a celebration of literacy through art. This annual event is held in Portland's south park blocks. Click here to view the chalk it up website. Financial support was received from Northern Bank of Commerce & Rite-Aid.

Read Across Oregon, an annual March read-a-thon to support adult literacy, raises over $4,000 for adult literacy programs in Oregon. Thanks to the Literacy Council of Jackson County for their participation.

First issue of "Literally Speaking" published, OLI's quarterly newsletter to explore various literacy issue in-depth.

OLI begins making advocacy postcards available . These postcards make it easy for any community member, adult learner, or literacy program to tell legislators or other supporters how important adult literacy services are in our communities. These postcards are a service of Oregon Reads [link up to 2002].

(Fall): Elizabeth Raymond, former intern, is hired as Literacy Outreach Manager. Jon Toorock, former volunteer, is hired as Director of Community Development.

Oregon Literacy partners with Verizon Reads to form "Oregon Reads" , services devoted to building collaboration between literacy providers in the state.

With support from Equity Office Properties, Oregon Literacy relocated its offices to downtown Portland. The volunteer & donation programs greatly benefit!

In the spirit of the Laubach "each one teach one" philosophy, student volunteer support was added to the Literacy Line - callers were enabled to speak to another adult who had gone through a literacy program.

LitBits, a monthly mini-newsletter for volunteer literacy programs, was founded.

Learning Disabilities 101 training was prepared to enlighten interagency groups, including volunteer literacy programs.

Literacy Line refered 1,256 volunteers and students to adult literacy programs in Oregon (July 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999).

Meg Young hired as Executive Director.

The Literacy Line referred 1,572 volunteers and students to adult literacy programs in Oregon (July 1, 1997- June 30, 1997).

Oregon Literacy hosted the Laubach Literacy Action conference in Portland, OR, from June 10-16.

Oregon Literacy assumed responsibility of the Literacy Line, which had been operated by Portland Community College.

Oregon Literacy partnered with the Oregon State Library on the Oregon Library Literacy Initiative 2. This project facilitated cooperation between libraries and existing literacy services by educating librarians about including literacy materials in collection development. The project also trained librarians and volunteers to refer adults to appropriate materials, and it provided supplementary materials on literacy. The project ran for two years.

Oregon's Governor, Barbara Roberts, declared November Need To Read Month.

As Community Colleges began sponsoring volunteer literacy programs, a volunteer tutor training program was desired. Oregon Literacy worked with the Office of Community College Services (now the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development) to develop the TELT (Training Effective Literacy Tutors) program.

In conjunction with Oregon Literacy, Safeway, Coors Brewing, and KGON radio promoted literacy during the month of November with the Need to Read - Pass it on campaign. Safeway included an insert highlighting literacy issues in its weekly advertisements. Coors made a donation to literacy programs of 25 cents per case of product sold, and Safeway contributed an additional 10 cents per case. Actor Danny Glover promoted the campaign by appearing at Safeway stores and at a dinner, which raised $15,000. Radio station KGON ran public service announcements featuring Glover. Governor Roberts proclaimed November "Need to Read" month.

Oregon Literacy, in conjunction with the Multnomah County Library, local colleges, and several businesses, created the Literacy Line, a statewide toll-free number staffed by volunteers. The Literacy Line was designed to provide referrals for individuals who sought tutoring or for those who expressed interest in becoming tutors. The Multnomah County Library initially operated the Literacy Line.

In September, ABC and PBS, along with their affiliates in Oregon and throughout the country, launched "PLUS"-"Project Literacy U.S." To commemorate this program, Governor Vic Atiyeh proclaimed September "Adult Literacy Awareness Month." Oregon Literacy participated in several events that were organized in conjunction with PLUS, including a Literacy Fair and a televised "town hall" meeting.

Oregon Literacy received three awards at the Laubach Literacy Action Biennial National Conference. The awards were given for continuing education for tutors, a student recruitment video, and a student retention study for a Laubach Summer Program in the Tigard Public Schools.

Oregon Literacy organized a three-day literacy conference that was held at Lewis & Clark College in Portland.

OLI partnered with Oregon Library Literacy Initiative (1). The project worked to establish literacy training programs in Oregon's libraries. Project ran for 2 years.

United States Congressman Ron Wyden visited the Oregon Literacy office in January. Following the visit, Wyden worked to publicize Oregon Literacy's activities and to increase the number of retired volunteers.

In September, Representative Wyden sponsored a workshop to study the costs and effects of illiteracy in Oregon and to explore ways of solving the problem. A government subsidized volunteer literacy corps was one proposal discussed. Another proposal was to offer libraries additional funding to supply and dedicate shelf space for literacy manuals. Oregon Literacy Executive Director Shirley Randles and Board Chairman Jim Sayer participated in the workshop.

Between June 1, 1984, and May 31, 1985, 651 tutors taught 866 students.

The North/Northeast Cooperative Literacy Project was chosen as a federal pilot project to develop a demonstration program using college work-study students to teach adults to read. The United States Department of Education contributed money for work-study funds. The Project, located at the Portland Community College Cascade Campus, received additional funds from B. Dalton Bookseller, the Oregon State Department of Education, and the community.

In January, Wally "Famous" Amos visited Portland to promote literacy. He appeared at a press conference announcing the funding of the North/Northeast Cooperative Literacy Project. He also appeared at two Famous Amos cookie stores and donated a total of three hours of the stores' receipts to Oregon Literacy.

Oregon Literacy's executive director, Shirley Randles, participated in a town hall discussion of illiteracy that was televised in Portland.

Oregon Literacy brought together businesses and educators to form the North/Northeast Portland Cooperative Literacy Project. The project's salient goal was to provide tutors for the functionally illiterate citizens of that area, an area with the highest concentration of adult non-readers in Oregon.

Phyllis Newland returned to OLI for a brief visit. She met with the planning committee to discuss the future of literacy programs and OLI. She proposed focusing on the following:

• Organization
• Interagency cooperation
• Training and tutoring
• Public relations

Between June 1, 1982, and May7 31, 1983, 638 tutors taught 916 students in various Oregon adult literacy programs.

July 10, Barbara Bush, the wife of Vice President George Bush, visited Oregon Literacy's office in Portland. She participated in a ceremony honoring students and volunteers. Mrs. Bush also presented a special award to Dr. Freeda Hartzfeld Jones in recognition of her continuing role at Oregon Literacy.

The board of directors hired OLI's first full time Executive Director.

Between July 1, 1980 and June 30, 1982, 650 tutors taught 1,151 students in various adult literacy programs throughout Oregon.

In recognizing World Literacy Day on September eighth, Governor Straub noted that illiteracy hampers one third of the adult human race in gaining an adequate standard of living. A federal study conducted in 1975 revealed that up to 57 million Americans were functionally illiterate.

Helen Larkin was hired to be the first Executive Director on a part-time basis.

Governor Bob Straub declared September eighth World Literacy Day. He noted the important role Oregon Literacy played in the improvment of literacy in the state.

As Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees settled in Portland following the fall of South Vietnam, Oregon Literacy established and staffed a center to teach the new arrivals English.

By 1975 the Companies of Compassion had raised more than $60,000 to support literacy programs in Colombia.

Laubach Literacy of Oregon, Inc. changed its name to Oregon Literacy Inc.

In response to requests from the United Nations and Oregon Literacy, Governor Tom McCall declared September eighth to be World Literacy Day in Oregon.

The numbers of literacy tutors and students continued to increase. Throughout Oregon and southwestern Washington, 787 tutors were trained. They taught 943 students. Of these students, 184 were trained in ESL.

Dr. Laubach visited Oregon for a week in February. In honor of Laubach's visit, Governor Tom McCall declared the week "Literacy Week." Dr. Laubach's visit included 21 speaking engagements, as well as television and radio appearances; the upshot was a fresh upsurge of interest in literacy in Oregon.

In June, Dr. Laubach died. The Board of Trustees of Laubach Literacy Inc. created the Frank C. Laubach Memorial Literacy Fund in his honor. Laubach Literacy of Oregon set a goal of raising $25,000 to contribute to the fund.

Laubach Literacy became a member of United Good Neighbors, the precursor to the United Way.

Laubach Literacy opened a bookstore to serve tutors. When it opened, the bookstore only sold books by NRP, Laubach's publishing arm.

By the end of the '60s, the Laubach organization, based in Syracuse, NY, had spread its influence throughout the country. The domestic branch of Laubach was titled the National Alliance for Literacy Advance (NALA). OLI was the Oregon chapter, a piece to the national puzzle. NALA was formed in 1969 at a convention attended by Phyllis Newland, OLI's Teaching Projects Committee Chairperson.

The Teaching Projects Committee of Oregon Literacy trained 509 tutors in Oregon and southwestern Washington; these tutors in turn trained 465 students.

1968

Oregon Laubach Literacy reorganized as a corporation named "Laubach Literacy of Oregon, Inc."

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In 1965 a local group called The Companies of Compassion invited Dr. Frank Laubach to speak in Portland. Laubach was a missionary and an educator who charged himself to 'liquidate illiteracy' from the world. Laubach developed literacy primers in more than 300 dialects outside of the iron curtain. In 1955 he organized the nonprofit organization Laubach Literacy, Inc. to enable him to carry out his mission.

Laubach Literacy of Oregon (LLO), the organization that would eventually morph into Oregon Literacy, Inc., was created through the efforts of Phyllis Newland, Martha Entler, Nancy Smith, and Pat Gerrard, a coterie united and inspired by Laubach's Oregon visit.

LLO mirrored the domestic and international focuses of its parent, Laubach Literacy. LLO included the Companies of Compassion, headed by Dr. Freeda Hartzfeld Jones. The mission of the Companies of Compassion was to raise money for international Laubach programs, specifically a program in Colombia, South America. Domestically, LLO created the Teaching Projects Committee (TPC), which was headed by Phyllis Newland. The TPC's mission was to train domestic tutors and coordinate tutor-student relationships.

UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) declared September eighth to be International Literacy Day.