ABOUT US
Literacy in the H.O.O.D. (Helping Out Our Disenfranchised) is dedicated to helping build a culture of reading in Cleveland’s low-income neighborhoods. Our organization takes a two-generation approach to promote literacy while distributing hundreds of books at schools and community events. Understanding the value of being an insider in communities of need, the organization regularly attends food distributions and other assistance programs to hand out books to families and engage parents. Through this painstaking work, Literacy in the H.O.O.D. develops trust and explains to parents they can help their children thwart the school-to-prison pipeline and the urban achievement gap by helping them become confident readers.
Founder/Executive Director
Chrishawndra Matthews
Chrishawndra Matthews, Founder & Executive Director of Literacy in the H.O.O.D. (Helping Out Our Disenfranchised) is determined to bring books to Cleveland’s inner-city neighborhoods. Known in the community as “Shawn Literacy,” she is a one-person literacy movement, doing all she can to empower parents and give them the tools they need to create a reading-friendly environment at home. Tirelessly she looks for opportunities to catch the attention of families and children: her accomplishments include creating a children’s reading area in an East Cleveland medical clinic waiting room and establishing a partnership with The Urban Barber Association to give away haircuts and books. Her heartfelt crusade has netted her national media attention, from Good Morning America and CNN to the Kelly Clarkson Show. She is proud to be the 2020 winner of The Center for Community Solutions’ Anisfield-Wolf Memorial Award and her hard work enabled Literacy In The H.O.O.D to win the NASW Ohio Statewide 2020 Agency of The Year.
