Words from the Executive Director

Dear LVMont Community,

With some snow and morning frost still on the ground, it doesn’t really feel like it – but it’s officially spring! I hope you have enjoyed our mild winter even though it didn’t allow us any pond-skating or sledding.

I know many of you wonder, but our office is still in the Fitchburg Public Library. We are currently negotiating the new MOU with the City of Fitchburg. Hopefully, I will be able to reflect on a swift and successful move in the next newsletter and invite you all to visit our new office.
I’m delighted to share that we recently received generous donations from IC Credit Union as well as Leominster Credit Union supporting our Citizenship and Conversation classes.
We hosted our Tutor New Year’s Coffee for tutors and board members on Thursday January 12th in the Leominster Operational Emergency Management Center, and enjoyed great conversation, coffee, and sweet treats. We hosted a Tutor Support Circle in February in the Fitchburg Armory and one in March in Fitchburg City Hall. These circles are a great opportunity to connect and to share information, experiences, concerns, tips and achievements. Please feel free to drop in if you are interested in learning more about our tutor’s experiences.

Spring is going to be a busy season. Not only will we launch or Spring Appeal on May 15, we will hold our first Spring Raffle with incredible prizes. We will also set up information tables at multiple events in the community. Please, come and say hello if you see us.

April is National Volunteer Month. National Volunteer Month celebrates the impact volunteers have on our lives and encourages active volunteerism in generations to come. Between Earth Day, financial literacy day, Education and Sharing day,  Arbor Day, and a month dedicated to spring, and a planet in bloom, April is a great time to give back to the planet and your community. I encourage you all this spring to join our fundraising efforts to give back to the community, collect donations, join our Board of Directors, man a table at an event or become a tutor!

Safe the date! Our Annual Meeting will take place on June 30th in the Leominster Memorial Veteran Center. We hope to see you there.

Please reach out to me with any questions, comments or your Spring Challenge Scrabble moves.

With best wishes,

Zwanieke Visser

National Volunteer Month: April

“You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give”
Winston Churchill

National Volunteer Month in April celebrates the impact volunteers have on our lives and communities. Our amazing volunteers generously donate a part of their lives to help others reach their goals and thrive in their communities. This month, we salute them for their unwavering dedication and enthusiasm and hold aloft their examples to inspire young and adults towards volunteerism.

Thank you for all that you do!

Office Hours

Regular office hours: Monday – Thursday: 10 AM -3 PM
Evenings, Fridays, and Saturdays by appointment.

The office will be closed:
Easter break: April 17 – 21.

The Power of Literacy

LVMont’s student Suzanna is working on her application to MWCC, a long-term goal, and a serviceable résumé (short-term goal). Congratulations on your accomplishments.

‘He read to me for the first time last session!’, said a tutor about her Basic Literacy Student after only 3 months of tutoring.
‘Lauren and I continue to make progress on her reading, listening and conversation skills and her ability to engage in conversation in English. In one of our recent sessions, she said (with a smile on her face!), “You force me to think in English”. I was elated to hear this!’

Since getting her learners permit, Rasha is taking driving lessons. Congratulations Rashelle, good luck with your driver’s test!

Online Volunteer Information Session: April 25

Online Volunteer Information Session:
Tuesday April 25, 6.30-8 PM.

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about becoming a Literacy Volunteer to see if it is the right fit for you!

This Zoom session will include detailed information about the program, what we offer, time commitments, and the training provided to volunteers.

Attendance at an Information Session is required prior to enrolling in a Tutor Training, so if you (or anyone you know) are interested in becoming a professionally trained Literacy Volunteer with LVMont, I strongly encourage you to sign up!

Click here to register!

Fast Facts:

  • No teaching experience is required! Professional tutor training is provided.
  • No need to speak another language to be an ESOL tutor. Our approach to beginner ESOL tutoring utilizes everyday, survival English that our tutors are trained to teach.
  • LVMont asks for a commitment of two hours per week of tutoring for nine to twelve months.

The Zoom link and an information packet will be e-mailed.

Ongoing ESOL Tutor Training
March 13 – April 24

Twelve volunteers are currently enrolled in our online ESOL Tutor Training. They are enthusiastic and can’t wait to start tutoring a fellow community member eager to learn English.

To enroll in a training, you are required to attend a volunteer information session where you’ll receive a more detailed application form. Email [email protected] for more information.

Our tutor trainings this year are generously supported by an Educational Access grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. 

Join Us in Spring

Mark your calendars! We have many exciting activities coming up this winter! More information will come soon!

April 18, 1-2 PM: Tutor support circle

May 1 – June 30: Ticket Sale for Spring Raffle

May 9, 5:30 – 7:30: United Way Community Event

May 15: Launch of Spring Appeal

May 18, 1-2 PM: Tutor support circle

June 13, 1-2 PM: Tutor support circle

June 30, 6-8 PM: Annual Meeting

Spring Citizenship Classes
March 22 – May 31

Twenty-four people signed up for our Spring Citizenship Classes. These classes prepare students for their citizenship interviews. Four amazing volunteers support and encourage the students while they study the 100 citizenship questions as well as the English vocabulary and conversation skills.

For online help with citizenship applications, contact Project Citizenship by calling 617-694-5949.

Our Spring Citizenship Classes are generously sponsored by:

Conversation Groups
in Spring

Conversation Circle:
The Spring Conversation Class is in full swing. This class is for anyone that wants to learn or improve their English conversational skills.
Location: Leominster Public Library.
Time: Tuesday Mornings, 11 AM – 12 PM.
No registration required.

Our Conversation Circles are generously sponsored by:

Calling wonderful humans

Did you know that LVMont’s service area includes Acton, Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Baldwinville, Barre, Berlin, Bolton, Boxboro, Clinton, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Princeton, Shirley, South Lancaster, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon? We welcome volunteers and students from all these towns.

Ways to support our tutoring


Our Spring Appeal Launches on May 15.
Your support makes an impact!

  • $1,000 sponsors a Tutor Training for 15 new tutors
  • $750 sponsors a Tutor-Student pair for one year
  • $400 sponsors training materials for 15 new tutors
  • $250 sponsors 10 books for the resource library
  • $100 sponsors an individualized intake and assessment session to enroll 1 new student
  • $69.94 honors the current value of 2 hours of volunteer time (Independent Sector)
  • $50 sponsors the trainings materials for a tutor.
  • $25 sponsors 5 subscriptions to a printed newspaper for English leaners for 10- weeks.

Contributions may be made securely online using PayPal (use the QR code or go to our website), or by mailing a check to:Literacy Volunteers of Montachusett Area
PO BOX 7197
Fitchburg MA 01420-0020
Massachusetts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Spring Raffle

This spring we will do something exciting: a Spring Raffle.
We are still in the process of collecting raffle prizes, but we already received a few wonderful donations.

Would you or your business like to donate items, a raffle basket or gift card to support literacy in your community? Contact us at [email protected].

Raffle tickets will go on sale on May 1st and we will draw the winners on the day of our Annual Meeting on June 30th. Tickets cost $10 for 5 tickets and you decide what prizes you would like to win. You can buy tickets at the office, from board members, volunteers or from the comfort of your own house by sending a check / paying with Paypal and sending an email with your ticket allocation.

Prizes will be on display in our office as well as on our Facebook page.

Scrabble Challenge

The winner of the winter scrabble challenge is Tania F.  She played ‘vin’ for 16 points!

Will you play in our spring scrabble challenge? Send your next move to: [email protected].

Thank You to Our Generous Supporters!
Thank you to all our funders, donors, and partners.

Massachusettes Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts
Donors to the United Way Campaign
Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts
ProLiteracy – Opportunity Fund
Health Alliance – Clinton Hospital
Rollstone Bank
American Online Giving Foundation
IC Credit Union
Leominster Credit Union
Walmart Lunenburg
MetroRock Littleton
Great Wolf Lodge Fitchburg
Fitchburg Public Library
St. Mark Community Education Program
Fitchburg Public Schools
Fitchburg City Hall

Together we are building better lives one word at a time!