She Does the City does Literature for Life

Jo Altilia and Literature for Life were profiled by the website She Does the City, which called the organization “quite possibly the world’s most important book club.”

“Most participants in Literature for Life live in poverty and isolation, and a third have a history of physical and/or sexual abuse. Often they have less than a grade 10 education and generally lack critical literacy skills. Research suggests that their children are likely to continue this cycle; more apt to underperform in school, become teen parents themselves, or end up in trouble with the law — often becoming dependent on the welfare system. We have learned over the last ten years that assisting teen mothers in developing strong literacy skills increases their ability and confidence to invest in education opportunities for themselves and for their children. Literacy is a powerful tool and a first step in breaking the cycle of women and child poverty.” Read the rest here.