Unstoppable: An ecosystem of literacy access

Editor’s note: As part of our Fall Nonprofit Issue, Xpress reached out to a number of local organizations to learn how their work has shifted post-Helene. The “Unstoppable” series is available in its entirety in this week’s issue. 

Jessica McLean is the co-executive director of Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe, a nonprofit that works to help close the race-based opportunity gap through community-powered literacy programming that engages children, families and community partners.

Xpress: How has your nonprofit’s focus shifted in the aftermath of Helene?

McLean: The aftermath of Helene resulted in significant disruptions to the education of local students. With students missing more than a month of instruction and schools still navigating what learning recovery looks like, the support Read 2 Succeed (R2S) offers is more crucial than ever. R2S has amplified its community literacy response with trained volunteer tutors returning to instruction as soon as schools reopened. R2S also joined families the last week of October to distribute reading resources and books in Pisgah View Apartments, supporting their community center and Head Start programs. After-school literacy support, book distribution and family reading events also resume in the coming weeks. With reflection and volunteer training on post-disaster student support, we honor the impact and trauma caused by the storm and continue to focus on supporting families and the community to ease back into learning.

Could you share a positive story about your nonprofit’s interaction with the community post-Helene? 

Directly after the hurricane, some R2S staff members supported resource and hot meal distribution along with other BIPOC-led nonprofits out of the Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center. One of the emerging leaders at the resource center was a local middle school student who attends Chosen PODS after-school where R2S tutors and instructors serve. This student stepped up and led the charge coordinating the distribution center as resources were delivered and organized. At one point, he even instructed multiple National Guard troops on how and where to unload their trucks. The power and hope of a young Black boy being celebrated and given the encouragement to lead others in serving his community aligns with the work of R2S when it comes to centering the voices of those who have been intentionally undervalued — our Black and brown students.

Based on the communities you serve, what are the most dire needs?

The areas where our city and county can most serve the strategically undervalued communities impacted by the disaster include rent and housing assistance. But the most often overlooked areas for support is in sustaining the ongoing resource distribution and education support that has been spearheaded by BIPOC-led organizations and community members. This disaster further exacerbated disparities that exist across Asheville, and for organizations that have been doing this work before Helene and continue still, they deserve to be uplifted. These organizations and individuals include but are not limited to: YTL, Chosen PODS, Grace Covenant,  Umoja Health, Wellness & Justice Collective, Operation Gateway, YMI Cultural Center & Bridging the Gaps, Center for Participatory Change, Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville, Colaborativa La Milpa, Poder Emma, My Daddy Taught Me That and many more.

Beyond monetary donations, how else could community members support your mission?

The majority of local students, no matter their race, background and socioeconomic status, were not reading on grade level prior to the storm, and they just lost another month-plus of critical instruction. In order to create an ecosystem of literacy access and opportunity, R2S is always working with community organizations and recruiting volunteers to support literacy programming. Learn more about how to get involved at r2sasheville.org.