Senate Resolution No. 1520

BY: Senator MAY

HONORING Ruth Johnson Colvin upon the occasion of
her designation for special recognition by the New
York State Office for the Aging on May 21, 2019

WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge
to the increasingly active roles they play in today's society; their
past contributions and future participation are a vital part of, and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Ruth Johnson
Colvin upon the occasion of her designation for special recognition by
the New York State Office for the Aging at its Annual Older New Yorkers'
Day Celebration on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at the Hart Theatre Lounge in
The Egg, Albany, New York; and

WHEREAS, Each May, the New York State Office for the Aging pauses to
acknowledge the outstanding contributions made by older citizens during
National Older Americans Month; and

WHEREAS, Members of older generations have helped build and shape
our Nation to be the greatest in the world; they have defended our
freedoms and values to ensure that those who come after them may have
better lives; nowhere in the Nation is the legacy of their efforts more
visible and more a part of the lives of all citizens than here in the
State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Johnson Colvin, a literacy pioneer, is a native of
Chicago, Illinois; in 1940, she moved to Syracuse and earned her
Bachelor of Science in Business from Syracuse University, Class of 1959;
and

WHEREAS, In 1961, after learning that more than 11,000 people in the
Syracuse community were "functionally illiterate," Ruth Johnson Colvin
took a proactive approach and began working with professional reading
specialists to develop tutor training and instructional materials; and

WHEREAS, In 1962, Ruth Johnson Colvin founded Literacy Volunteers;
now known as LiteracyCNY, this non-profit organization provides adults
in the Central New York community with the literacy tools and
instruction they need to learn English; and

WHEREAS, With Ruth Johnson Colvin's guidance, the literacy volunteer
movement quickly spread across the United States; the national
organization, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc., was incorporated in
1972; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of 50 years, Ruth and her husband, Robert,
traveled the world to provide literacy training in more than 60
different countries; today, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. offers
more than 330 programs in 42 states, with more than 100,000 volunteers
and students; and

WHEREAS, In 1987, Ruth Johnson Colvin was recognized with the
highest volunteerism award in the United States, the President's
Volunteer Action Award; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of
Fame, and in 2006, she received the prestigious Presidential Medal of
Freedom; she has also received nine honorary degrees and more than 20
local and national awards, and has published several works, including
Off the Beaten Path: Stories of People Around the World; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, ProLiteracy was formed when Literacy Volunteers of
America, Inc. merged with Laubach Literacy International; at the age of
102, Ruth Johnson Colvin continues as an active volunteer tutor and life
member of the ProLiteracy and LiteracyCNY board of directors and has
started literacy programs in Madagascar and Papua, New Guinea; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, The Ruth J. Colvin Center was created and named
after her, aimed at increasing the abilities of Central New Yorkers with
limited literacy skills; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Johnson Colvin advice for other New Yorkers regarding
volunteering is "If you believe in your idea, you go from there. If you
do it with love, it will work out."; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Ruth Johnson Colvin has
displayed throughout her life; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Johnson Colvin has inspired and enriched the lives of
those she serves through her volunteerism, generously sharing the wisdom
gained over years of experiencing life to its fullest; now, therefore,
be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Ruth Johnson Colvin upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by the New York State Office for the Aging on May
21, 2019; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Ruth Johnson Colvin.