Stockbridge and Lee — It was fun, food, and dancing for a good cause as the Literacy Network (LitNet) held its annual Tapas, Tequila, and Tango fundraising event on Saturday, September 9, at the Berkshire Botanical Garden.
According to its website, the Lee-based nonprofit organization’s mission is to “transform the lives of adult learners, both immigrants and U.S.-Born, through the power of literacy, education, and advocacy.” The organization has several programs, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) tutoring, adult basic education, and high school equivalency programs.
“LitNet is important because the first barrier to any success in this country is language,” LitNet Director of Tutoring Miguel Silva said. “Having the tool of speaking English available to people. It’s not an immediate need like food and shelter, but it is one of the most important things because having a handle on English will allow you to succeed in this country. It will help you get a better job.”
Silva said that LitNet’s tutors move at the speed of the learner, which means that the student can learn as slowly, or quickly, as they want. “When it comes to learning English, you have people who are more motivated than others, not because they don’t want to learn, but because they may be busy with their children or their jobs,” Silva said. “My family came from Colombia, and I came to America when I was 10 years old. I was very fortunate to learn English very quickly, but I was a witness to my mother’s struggle to learn the language. This is why I am very glad that I get an opportunity to work for this organization, because it is something very dear to me. Learning English is something I can relate to because I went through the process of learning myself.”
“Tonight’s event is all about celebrating LitNet, our learners, and our supporters,” President of the LitNet Board of Directors Merle Duskin Kailas said. “We are all very grateful to all of them, especially our tutors because we would not be the organization that we are today without them.”
Since its founding in 1991, the organization has helped 6,000 adult learners with its programs. Kailas said that the organization currently has over 200 tutor-learner pairs. “We believe that learning English is life-changing if you don’t speak or write it,” Kailas said. “No matter how you’ve been trained in your country of origin, it’s very hard for you to succeed at a job or career without speaking English.”
The event included specially made margaritas, and Latin food, including tapas made by Yuri’s Kitchen in Great Barrington. The event also included a tango dance demo and lesson by members of Lee’s Kinesphere Studio and the Brattleboro Tango Studio from Brattleboro, Vt.
“Tonight is a fun night where we celebrate our mission to transform lives,” LitNet Executive Director Leigh Doherty said. “We’re excited to not only have our supporters in the room, but we’ve worked hard to have an inclusive event that has our learners, tutors, and members of our board and staff.”
At the event, Bill Dunlaevy was honored for his work for LitNet and the community. Dunleavy recently retired as a director and chairman of Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Berkshire Bank. He held both positions for 16 years during his 42 years of employment at the bank. Dunlaevy has also held leadership roles at Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Community College, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, and the Lenox Library. He served on LitNet’s board of directors from 2010 to 2018.
For more information about LitNet, go to its website.
