About Us

The Literacy Council of Carroll County is a volunteer, non-profit organization affiliated with ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international literacy organization that operates in over 50 countries. The Council offers free and confidential help to anyone who wishes to improve his or her reading proficiency, regardless of reading level. Tutors are certified and instruction is conducted in a confidential one-on-one setting at the Literacy Council Office or a community location convenient to the student and tutor. Volunteers have a choice of several of areas to help in the work of the Literacy Council.

The Literacy Council has 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit organization affiliated with ProLiteracy

Literacy Council Membership

Membership in the Literacy Council is $20.00. In addition to supporting the Council, members receive our newsletters and other information about Council activities and projects.

Literacy Council of Carroll County History

The Literacy Council of Carroll County was founded in April, 1979, by Sister Rosalia, the principal of St. John's Catholic School in Westminster, and Kathryn Sieverts, a Lutheran laywoman. The mission of the organization was to promote literacy and to train tutors to teach phonics, reading, speaking, spelling, and math to youth and adults in Carroll County.

The first volunteers worked out of St. John's School, Grace Lutheran Church, Carroll County Public Library, and various members' spare rooms and basements. Judy Ritchie was the first Director. Through the generosity of Grace Lutheran Church, the Council moved into its first office. Marian Carr took over as Director and Student/Tutor Coordinator in 1988. The Council occupied the second floor (a three-room suite) of a two-story house at 30 Carroll Street in Westminster. In 1994, in need of more space, the Council moved to the second floor of 95 Carroll Street, Westminster.

In 1995, Marian Carr turned the reins over to Betsy Fowble as Director and Dee Hines as Tutor/Student Coordinator. Men who were tutoring or being tutored at the Central Laundry Facility, a correctional institution in Sykesville, helped with the move. At that time, volunteers numbered about 70 with close to 50 students, including a few children. In 1997, Betsy Fowble resigned and Dee Hines took over as Director.

Volunteer numbers increased substantially between 1997 and 2006, when the Council moved again to its present home in the Carroll Non-Profit Building, 255 Clifton Boulevard. Laubach International and Literacy Learners of America merged during that time to become ProLiteracy Worldwide, the umbrella organization for most literacy organizations.

Past presidents of the Board of Directors include Dorothy Stoltz, Mike Memphis, Terry Toney and Lou Scharon. For over 15 years, volunteer Tim Faber printed the quarterly newsletter, a job now handled by Paul Bendel-Simso. In October of 2002, Dee Hines received Carroll County's Most Beautiful Person Award. In 2009, after serving as the Carroll Community as a volunteer for over 22 years, Dee Hines retired from her position at the Literacy Council. Charlotte Laslo became the Tutor-Student Coordinator and Carol Sapora took over as Director.

The Council receives no government funding and operates without a fixed budget. There is never a charge for Council services, but if financially able, students are asked to pay for their books. We rely on private donations, community contributions, grants, and fund raisers to cover our expenses.