SOUTH HOLLAND, IL– South Suburban College’s (SSC) Adult Volunteer Literacy Program is hosting a Family Reading Night event on Thursday, November 17, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The event will occur at the Performing Arts Center of SSC’s main campus in South Holland, Illinois. The public is encouraged to attend the free event to learn more about community literacy while enjoying stories, youth activities, and live presentations. The activities for the event will include a live puppet show, face painting, balloon art, local authors, book readings, and a youth book giveaway. Community Partners include Markham Public Library’s book truck, Burst into Books, and Doughboy’s Catering.

David Stephens, SSC Adult Literacy Grant Manager and Family Reading Night event coordinator, stated, “The literacy crisis in America is reaching critical mass. This directly affects an individual’s health and well-being. Illiteracy places an individual at a disadvantage in educational attainment, civic participation/voting activity and reduces a person’s employment opportunities leading them to have less financial security. Literacy not only enriches an individual’s quality of life, but it also provides positive outcomes in their career and income.”

Illiteracy is an issue that can be debilitating in so many ways for adults and children who never received the proper instruction. Adults who are unable to read have a difficult time with daily activities that others may take for granted, along with a clear disadvantage in today’s competitive job market. SSC’s Adult Education Department administers the Adult Volunteer Literacy Tutoring Program in addition to High School Equivalency (HSE/GED), English as a Second Language (ESL), and Adult Basic Education (ABE).

For more information about the Family Reading Night or the Adult Volunteer Literacy Program, contact David Stephens, Adult Literacy Grants Manager, at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2558, or email DStephens@ssc.edu. This event is sponsored in part by the SSC Foundation.