The Center for Literacy, since its inception in 1968, has been working in the trenches to help empower thousands of individuals and families through the power of literacy.  CFL began as a tutoring organization run primarily by volunteers.  We’ve remained community-based and our staying power for more than 40 years is due to our volunteers.  Most great movements begin at the grass roots level.  We recognize that those across the nation are hungry for change and are charged to start in their own back yards.

 The Literacy Freeze presents an opportunity for you to become a part of a movement to change lives.  Yes, the effects won’t be immediate, but raising awareness of the grim realities of low literacy is among the first steps.  The Literacy Freeze concept was birthed from watching a YouTube video of what is called the “Grand Central Freeze”.  After viewing the video, we felt, yes, this is how to get attention!  However, in our case, we want to get attention for an issue difficult to articulate, so visual presentation we think is fitting.  We thought if we could freeze a moment in time, so hundreds or thousands could stop and reflect and think:

 What if I were not able to read to my child, what if I could not read simple directions, what if I could not understand instructions from my doctor, what if I couldn’t get the job I wanted because I didn't have a high school diploma, and what if I continued to fall short of fulfilling my dreams? 

 Well, this is the reality for many of our students before coming to CFL.  This moment of reflection could be the impetus for creating a mass movement of volunteers interested in the cause of literacy.  CFL’s mission is not about giving handouts.  We empower people to manifest their own change.  As an example, our students have included a husband and wife who accomplished their adult high school diplomas’, a GED recipient who earned a full scholarship to Community College of Philadelphia, a student who passed his United States citizenship test, and a grandmother who can now read to her grandchild. 

 We believe you can help us raise awareness for the issue of literacy and the severity of the crisis and start a movement to change lives through the power of literacy.