Student of the Year and award-winning author celebrated at Literacy Services of Indian River County’s 2023 Love of Literacy Luncheon

Recently, literacy lovers came together to celebrate the life-changing work of Literacy Services of Indian River County. The 2023 Love of Literacy Luncheon, held at the Quail Valley River Club, was filled to capacity while participants honored the Student of the Year and enjoyed the engaging conversation of an award-winning author.

Long-time tutor, Dom Restuccia, and community engagement coordinator, Elida Gomez, announced the Student of Year, Daniel Betancourt, who gave a heart-warming speech that wowed the crowd with laughter and tears. He thanked Dom, his fabulous volunteer tutor, for being so helpful and supportive. He thanked his family for believing in him. He thanked the donors for making the free tutoring services possible. And lastly, he thanked himself for being so determined and disciplined.

Next, author Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop took the stage for an engaging conversation with board member and long-time friend, Lorna Stengel. Elizabeth also read from her recent memoir, Daughter of Spies: Family Secrets and Wartime Lies, and answered questions from the audience.

"We are thrilled with the positive feedback from our 2023 Love of Literacy Luncheon, so proud of our Student of the Year and the goals he has now made for the future, grateful for our volunteer tutors, appreciative of our sponsors, and excited to have such an accomplished author as our keynote speaker," said Shannon Maitland, executive director.

The event was made possible by the generous support of many sponsors, some of which include: Barbara and Richard Detwiler, Proctor Construction, Art Ryan, Dingwall Architecture, Florida Power & Light, George and Marlen Higgs, George E. Warren LLC, IRSC Law Enforcement Recruit Class # 172, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Lieberman, SouthState Bank, The Family of Donald Mann, and Wanda Lincoln. The Sunrise Rotary of Vero Beach supported the Student of the Year awards. The contributions of the generous sponsors will support the organization’s free adult literacy tutoring. Literacy Services would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all who attended and supported the Love of Literacy Luncheon. Your support will make a significant difference in the lives of those seeking to improve their literacy and language skills. Together we can build a stronger, more informed and engaged community

About Literacy Services of IRC:

Literacy Services of Indian River County is a non-profit organization that provides quality tutoring, free of charge, to adults seeking help in reading or learning English. Our trained volunteers help adult students improve their literacy and language skills, enabling them to become more informed, engaged, and financially stable members of our community. A United Way supported agency, Literacy Services relies on over 150 volunteer tutors who provide free, confidential, and one-to-one tutoring to Indian River County residents aged 16 and older. Literacy Services also offers group classes, virtual tutoring, and workplace tutoring at the request of local employers. There are currently 36 students on the waitlist for tutoring. New tutors are always needed. Volunteers do not need prior teaching experience; they receive training and resources from Literacy Services

For more information about Literacy Services and our programs, please visit www.literacyservicesirc.org or call 772-778-2223.

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