What a year it has been.
It has been a year of heartache and anxiety for many in the LitNet learner community in the face of the current administration’s focus on tougher immigration enforcement practices and policies. Many learners have been shaken, unsettled, and made to question hope about their American futures.
We are very grateful that our LitNet family responded to these challenges in some very meaningful and significant ways: individual tutor-learner partnerships were strengthened, community members eagerly stepped up to offer their time and talent to LitNet as a volunteer tutor, our donors of all levels have been generous in showing support of our mission, and our number of active tutor-learner pairs reached an all-time high.
We, the Berkshires, are a community of people who deeply believe in lifting up our neighbors. We care about the wellbeing of humans and can empathize with the struggles of people who have chosen to remove their children from dangerous situations in their home nations and who seek a safe and welcoming place to settle their families.
We choose to continue being that welcoming place. LitNet can’t guarantee anyone’s safety. But we can be a part of the support network and humanity extended to our immigrant neighbors.
LitNet had tremendous activity this year. We have supported about 350 individuals through 1:1 tutoring. Despite the challenges many learners faced, most have chosen to continue learning anyway. And this gives us hope, the deep, humanity-sustaining kind of hope that we all need right now.
Each month, via this newsletter, we have brought you stories about our learners who have thrived and grown. They are passing tests and getting raises and promotions and exploring their creativity and sending their children to college. They are transforming their lives and, by extension, strengthening and enriching the fabric of our community.
This holiday season, I have one request: that you continue to kindle the flame of hope. That you don’t give up. That you keep seeing the beauty in our community and in the citizens–and non-citizens–of the United States. That you find your one way, however big or small, to support goodness in the world.
