Donor Spotlight: Anne Eisenberg
Support from donors like Anne Eisenberg helps make life-changing educational opportunities possible throughout our community. We are grateful for Anne’s commitment to empowering students and strengthening literacy.
Anne’s Story
I still remember, as a 5-year-old living in the projects of NYC, practicing writing my signature for a week. On the next Saturday morning, my father and I went to our local branch of the New York City library, where I proudly signed my name in cursive and received my first library card. That library card allowed me to read any book I wanted — which allowed me to imagine a world where there were NOT bars on the windows or gunshots outside our building on a regular basis.
Being able to read allowed me to get good grades in school, which opened up opportunities I might never have had. And I never had to worry about whether I could complete a job application, or order food I’d never heard of before reading about it on a menu, or guess which bus to take because I could not read the route sign on the bus.
“I know that the majority of the money I donate goes directly to literacy programming in our communities.”
Literacy Buffalo Niagara exists to improve the literacy of ALL adult citizens of Erie and Niagara counties — whether native-born speakers whose reading skills were not advanced through school, or immigrants and refugees learning a new language (many of whom are not literate in their original language either).
What better way to improve the economic, social and political strength of our communities than to work towards 100% literacy? What better way to improve people’s lives than to give them the tools (reading and speaking English) to succeed when applying for jobs or helping their own children in school or giving back to their communities?
I started donating my time as a tutor seven years ago. I then became a board member and donated both my time AND my money to LBN. I know that the majority of the money I donate goes directly to literacy programming in our communities — English/reading literacy, digital literacy, and health literacy.
The money we donate pays for programming, program materials, staffing, new program development, and training our volunteers. Literacy Buffalo Niagara makes a real, meaningful difference in people’s lives — which positively impacts their families and immediate communities, thereby improving life for all of us.
