The Literacy Center of West Michigan, along with literacy champions Mayor George Heartwell and Bing Goei, announced the Community Literacy Initiative (CLI), a literacy coalition that seeks to empower community leaders, parents and residents to improve literacy for all ages.

“Literacy remains a key element in the future of Grand Rapids,” said Mayor Heartwell. The mission of the Community Literacy Initiative is to lead the way for basic skills and literacy in West Michigan by becoming the voice of literacy through coalition building, literacy infusion, mission integration and leveraging assets.

“Illiteracy is not only a problem of the 22% of the adult population that struggle with reading and writing, but it is also a problem of the 78% of the population who may be unaware of the issue,” said Bing Goei, owner of Eastern Floral.

A series of neighborhood forums will be hosted to bring awareness to the issue of illiteracy and to build a coalition around improving literacy for all ages. Residents, business owners and community leaders are invited to attend. The next forum will take place:

Neighborhood Forum

• November 29, 2011 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at United Church Outreach Ministries (UCOM), 1311 Chicago Drive SW. 

For more information on the Community Literacy Initiative and how to get involved, contact Lindsay McHolme at 616-459-5151 or email lmcholme@literacycenterwm.org.