Literature for Life
Get ready and get tickets! Poetic Fashion is only 2 weeks Away!
What is Poetic Fashion?
Poetic Fashion is a youth leadership initiative showcasing the talent of marginalized youth from Toronto’s 13 underserved neighbourhoods. As a collective, these performers and youth volunteers are using their art and creative expression to unite for peace.
Poetic Fashion is a highly respected event because of the monumental achievements made in inspiring youth from underserved communities to work together. Initiated and designed by youth, in a partnership
with Literature for Life, the mandate Building Bridges, Not Barriers has transcended into the lives of the youth participants through these collaborations and has resulted in mutual respect for one another and friendships that continue to exist.
On September 2nd, 2010, Poetic Fashion is hosting it’s 2nd annual youth arts showcase. Youth from Toronto’s 13 underserved neighbourhoods have gathered together to represent themselves and each other through fashion design, music, dance, visual arts, drama and spoken word poetry.
Support this amazing youth initiative and witness the city’s most organic and passionate talent.
This is an event you don’t want to miss!
JUNO AWARD NOMINEE KIM DAVIS (kimdavisonline.com) and RAPTORS TV SHOWTIME HOST AKIL AUGUSTINE host a showcase of some of Toronto’s best up and coming designers – including:
ROD PHILIPOT of SHKANK INC. (shkank.com) whose designs have already graced the stages of THE GRAMMYS, MISS UNIVERSE, and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
and
CINDY RENEE of SODALISIOUS (carringtonsworld.com) who has been worn by celebrities like90210’s ANNA LYNNE-MCCORD.
But this isn’t your average fashion show. Poetic Fashion also showcases some of Toronto’s best talent including:
CANADIAN BEATBOX CHAMPION SCOTT JACKSON (myspace.com/sjbeatbox)
PRODIGAL COMPOSER and PIANIST JD KEYS
and APOLLO AMATEUR NIGHT WINNER BLAKE CARRINGTON (carringtonsworld.com)alongside a host of established and up and coming spoken word artists from Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods.
Save the date!
Who: Poetic Fashion 2010
What: 2nd Annual Poetic Fashion Showcase
When: Thursday September 2nd, 2010 @ 7pm
Where: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts ~ 27 Front St. E, Toronto (Front & Yonge)
Tickets: $26+ HST
Tickets are available for sale online: www.stlc.com with the use of a credit card or call our offices at 416-203-9830 to purchase with cash.
For more information on this monumental event visit: www.poeticfashion.org
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Literature for Life’s Summer $1 Book Sale Raises Over $1000 to Support Program Participants.
Literature for Life’s Annual Summer $1 Book Sale was a success, raising over $1000 with the sale of books of all titles and genres.
This year’s book sale was held in the young, vibrant, family concentrated area of midtown Toronto on Sunday August 15th 2010 between 9am-1pm at 28 Glengrove Ave W. Toronto, ON.
Professional storyteller Pat Bisset was in attendance along with Frontier College Reading Tent coordinator Karla Werner, who engaged families with stories. Literature for Life supporter, Councillor Karen Stintz was also in attendance with her family.
Like many other not-for-profit, charitable organizations, Literature for Life’s programming is dependent on fundraising initiatives and private donations to keep their mandate and vision alive.
- $100 provides facilitator supplies for Women with Words Reading Circles
- $300 provides journals for Women with Words Reading Circles
- $500 supports a young mother and her child in the reading circle
- $1000 provides books for one month
- $11 000 supports the Women with Words reading circle for one year.
Proceeds of the book sale contribute to Literature for Life programming that benefits young mothers aged 14-29 and their children. Based on the belief of mother as a child’s first teacher, Literature for Life’s programs assist lone parent young mothers to increase literacy and social skills plus develop the capacity necessary to be employed, self sufficient and to be effective parents. Strengthening families one book at a time, Literature for Life’s innovative programming has contributed to bridging the gap between rich and poor for over 1,700 young women and over 2,200 children living in poverty in Toronto. The organization has distributed over 22, 000 books to young mothers and children.
About Literature for Life
By promoting the benefits of literacy and the wonders of reading, Literature for Life empowers young women to expand their destinies beyond the tired clichés of teenage motherhood. Each week Literature for Life meets with these women- pregnant and parenting teenagers at shelters and parenting centres across the city of Toronto with trained facilitators to read and discuss novels together. The organization was founded by Jo Altillia who was recently recognized as one of Toronto’s “Vital People” by the Toronto Community Foundation.
For more information on Literature for Life events or donations please visit our website: www.literatureforlife.org or contact PR Development Assistant Tamara Shelly:
Tamara Shelly
PR Development Assistant
416-203-9830
Send us your Facebook and Twitter account names and we will add you to our networks keeping you up to date on Literature for Life events like the Annual Summer $1 Book Sale!Click to watch the slideshow below:
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Summer Book Sale Builds Bright Future for Young Mothers
Proceeds of Literature for Life’s Midtown Summer Book Sale Benefits Literacy Program Participants.
Toronto, ON - Each year, registered charitable organization, Literature for Life hosts its annual book sale. This year, over 1000 books of all titles and genres will be sold at only $1 each with proceeds of the book sale contributing to Literature for Life programming that benefits young mothers aged 14-29 and their children. Based on the belief of mother as child’s first teacher, Literature for Life’s programs assist lone parent young mothers to increase literacy and social skills plus develop the capacity necessary to be employed, self sufficient and to be effective parents.
This year’s book sale will be held in the young, vibrant, family concentrated area of midtown Toronto on Sunday August 15th 2010 between 9am-1pm at 28 Glengrove Ave W. Toronto, ON. Rain or Shine. Print a copy of Literature for Life’s $1 Book Sale flyer to redeem a FREE book August 15th!
Major intersection: Yonge St. & Lawrence Ave.
Monies earned will help Literature for Life engage young mothers in social change and leadership through the power of the written word to build better futures for themselves, their children, and their communities. Strengthening families one book at a time, Literature for Life’s innovative programming has contributed to bridging the gap between rich and poor for over 1,700 young women and over 2,200 children living in poverty in Toronto. The organization has distributed over 22, 000 books to young mothers and children.
About Literature for Life
By promoting the benefits of literacy and the wonders of reading, Literature for Life empowers young women to expand their destinies beyond the tired clichés of teenage motherhood. Each week Literature for Life meets with these women- pregnant and parenting teenagers at shelters and parenting centres across the city of Toronto with trained facilitators to read and discuss novels together. The organization was founded by Jo Altillia who was recently recognized as one of Toronto’s “Vital People” by the Toronto Community Foundation June 22, 2010.
For more information or donations please visit our website: www.literatureforlife.org or contact PR Development Assistant, Tamara (tshelly@literatureforlife.org) at 416-203-9830.
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Jo Altilia, Founding Executive Director has been named one of the Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital People.
Dedicated to supporting marginalized women and youth, Jo Altilia established Literature for Life, a charitable organization providing literacy training and self-expression in a safe, nurturing environment in Toronto’s under served communities.
To read more about this prestigious award visit:
http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/features/joatilia0505.aspx
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Our Summer 2010 issue is out now! To order a copy or to subscribe to the magazine, visit our subscription page.
Each week, pregnant and parenting teenage mothers meet at various shelters and youth centres throughout the City to read and discuss novels with trained facilitators – for many of the young mothers this is the first book that they have ever read. The young moms begin to see language as a tool to express themselves. They become empowered through reading, writing and discussions – finding new ways to solve problems and learning to be proactive in their lives instead of reactive. They begin to understand that their voices and stories have value and meaning which leads to increased self-esteem, a renewed interest in literacy and learning as well as an investment in their community.
We believe in the role of a mother as a child’s first teacher. They pass these values onto their children providing the tools to help young moms do their best is what Literature for Life is all about. By recognizing the power of language, Literature for Life offers teen moms a safe environment to explore and learn to use language to her advantage and to benefit her children. Through reading, writing and performance, young mothers from local parenting centre and social service agencies develop the confidence that allows her to articulate her thoughts, feelings, needs and become a better advocate for herself and her child. Often she will feel inspired to return to a formal education, simply because she sees that she can.
To speak – and to be heard. To write – and to be read. Empowering young mothers is the greatest gift Literature for Life has given to more than 1600 young women plus their children since 2000.
Please help us continue on our quest to be the Literacy Champion for at risk young families living in the Province of Ontario. Help us show young mothers and their children we still care, we’re still listening.
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“Why I Read”
Jackie Graham
It was because of a book group I attended in 2004 that I started reading consistently. Before then, I never would have read a book- not even for a book report.
I remember a couple of the first books I got were “Lovely Bones” and “Rush Home Road,” at the Jessie’s Centre. Each book was brand new and mine to keep, igniting some interest to read. Unfortunately. it wasn’t enough to get me past the first few pages. Time went on and I started to attend Humewood House, a school for young mothers where I crossed paths again with the Literature for Life book group. They were coming to my school once a week, running reading circles, implemented as part of the school’s program. The new books and escape from my regular school, ignited my interest again; but the topics even more so.
We stepped in the world of others as we read books such as “Anne Frank” and “The Girl With the Baby.” Each week we’d read a couple of chapters, look at the characters and analyze how they related to people and situations in our own lives. The reading circles got interesting, and now like many of the other girls, I couldn’t wait for the next week to read well into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chapters of my novels “Addicted,” and “No Disrespect.” To me, the stories came alive, and the characters even 10x more.
Now, it’s not that I never read before or didn’t like to read, it’s just that I dreaded lengthy reading. I didn’t care if it was Jerome Dickey or Paula Zane I just wasn’t reading it. You may get me to read an “interesting” section, but never the whole thing.
Funnily enough, unlike many of my friends who were into their “Fly Girl” and “Cream In My Coffee” I had a thirst for knowledge. I had a fascination with my father’s collection of Collier’s Encyclopedia; 27 volumes to be exact. The knowledge that I gained from those books broadened my perspective and gave me a new insight into the world.
I now see that knowledge and insight can be just a book away, whether an encyclopedia of novel. Reading opened up a whole new world for me and at times served as my escape.
I rank the importance of literacy so high on my scale that I spend a lot of time promoting it. I believe that the ability to read and write sharpens the mind and enables one to discover who they are, where they’re coming from and where they’re going.
I am currently a student at Mothercraft College pursuing my ECE diploma. I hope to move on to earn my BA., where I can teach literacy to young children. I also hope to assist people with dyslexia to find effective methods of reading. The mind is a terrible thing to waste and knowledge is just a book away.
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Literature for Life congratulates Tanis on her accomplishments, including being awarded second prize for the CBC Literacy Awards. Literature for Life was sad to lose Tanis as our Reading Circle Manager as she was a great asset to the team. We wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavours!
Click here to visit Tanis Rideout’s website
