The Daily Ardmoreite
During a graduation season full of high school and college commencement ceremonies, one ceremony this week stood out with a collection of graduates from area literacy groups. The Ardmore Literacy Leadership on Thursday recognized learners for completing their high school diploma, GED, English as a Second Language, Spanish language or U.S. citizenship test.
Over 100 guests were on hand at the Colvert Ministry Center to celebrate the graduates including families, tutors and other supporters. Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, an Ardmore native, provided a recorded message and Ardmore City Commissioner John Credle addressed those in attendance.
ALL organizations represented on Thursday included Ardmore Family Literacy, Ardmore Public Library, New Dimension Literacy Council, Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley, and St. Mary Catholic Church.
Michael D. Smith
msmith@ardmoreite.com
In a year of uncertainty for everyone, nonprofit organizations also felt the pinch of a pandemic. Numerous philanthropic groups across southern Oklahoma continued to help fill needs, but even these groups had to exercise caution as needs sometimes outpaced available resources.
For Mary Kate Wilson, who oversees three such groups in Carter County, one of the biggest challenges came early in the pandemic.
“When we shutdown and there was uncertainty regarding whether nonprofits would get PPP loans or if they had access to protective gear, the foundations could have come together and very quickly responded,” she said, referring to the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal effort to provide capital to businesses struggling under the weight of the pandemic.