The Literacy Volunteers of Ontario Yates hosts their annual Behind the Wines fundraiser Wednesday night, August 30 to support the services they provide.
“LVOY is trying to get the point where everybody is reading better. They serve immigrant populations. They have a strong ESL program, but they also serve people who grew up here and never learned to read.”
That’s Keuka Springs winemaker August Deimel. He’ll be joined by Liliana Sanchez for a program on the workers that help produce Finger Lakes Wines from those who pick the grapes to those who bottle the final product. Immigrant workers are crucial to agriculture throughout New York. In the case of winemaking, immigrants often provide highly specialized labor. With the industry growing, Deimel says there simply aren’t enough workers. Language and literacy skills make it easier to share those specialized skills and it helps the immigrant workers become a part of the community.
“One of the things about literacy is that it brings people into the fold and into the great American tradition of integrating into the community as opposed to simply being a separate community that lives alongside us.”
The Literacy Volunteers of Ontario-Yates fundraiser Behind the Wines features a variety of food and locally sourced wine and beer. It happens at Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens in Canandaigua Wednesday, August 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 585-396-1686 or email donna@literacyvoc.org.
