http://speakunited.org/blog/Elizabeth+Curtis/2008/02 xx http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/illiteracy-america <p> On February 25, 2008 ABC reported a story on its World News program entitled, <i><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WN/LegalCenter/story?id=4342759&amp;page=1">Out of the Shadows: Overcoming Illiteracy</a></i>.<br /> I was staggered by this report that found 1 in 20 adults in Grand Rapids, Michigan are illiterate. The city set a goal to cut illiteracy in half in 10 years, and in the last 4 years the program has helped 1,000 people.</p> <p>Without literate adults, how can we expect to have success for the children of our community? Literacy, education, and financial stability are so intertwined with all issues related to poverty. Sometimes it's critical to focus on the basics. <span class='read-more'><a href="http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/illiteracy-america">&nbsp;read&nbsp;more&nbsp;&raquo;</a></span></p> http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/illiteracy-america#comments Affordable Housing education financial stability illiteracy Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:59:07 -0500 Elizabeth Curtis 999 at http://speakunited.org http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/a-personal-perspective-a-public-crisis <p>On January 23, 2008 I bought my first home. At the same moment a single mother lost her home to the foreclosure process. Purchasing a home that was in foreclosure was difficult, both personally and professionally, but has given me a new perspective on what is happening across our country. <span class='read-more'><a href="http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/a-personal-perspective-a-public-crisis">&nbsp;read&nbsp;more&nbsp;&raquo;</a></span></p> http://speakunited.org/blog/elizabeth+curtis/2008/02/a-personal-perspective-a-public-crisis#comments Sustainable Employment foreclosures Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:41:08 -0500 Elizabeth Curtis 986 at http://speakunited.org