About Me
Hi!
My name is Rita and I’m a mannequin from a department store on the west side of Toronto. I moved to London, Ontario in 2010 to pursue my dreams of being a literacy advocate where i was recruited by Literacy Link South Central to host a literacy contest called Have You Seen Rita (check below for excerpts from the contest). I had a great time promoting the contest as I got to meet a lot of Londoners who are passionate about their community. Now that the contest has wrapped up, I have resumed pursuing my passions: Promoting literacy, building foundations for stronger communities, and wearing big floppy red hats!
Rita xoxox
Have You Seen Rita?
519-286-0400
Rita DeBook is London’s newest Literacy Advocate. Starting May 27th and every Thursday until July 29th, Rita will be “hanging out” somewhere in London. People who spot Rita are asked to call the Rita DeBook hotline and give their name, phone number, Rita’s location, and an explanation of how Rita’s activity is related to literacy. A winner will be drawn from all those that call the hotline that day. The Fresh FM Summer Cruiser will find Rita each Thursday and announce the winner from that location.
What a great way to have some fun and promote literacy. Community literacy is an important issue to address because 45% of Canadian adults don’t have the necessary literacy skills to cope in our society.
Literacy: more than a book.
Contest Partners:
Elgin Middlesex Oxford Local Training Board
Elgin St. Thomas Public Health
Frontier College
Literacy Link South Central
Literacy London
London Public Library
The Message
Rita DeBook may not be able talk but her message will be heard loud and clear.
Literacy is about more than reading a book.
Rita DeBook is part of a literacy awareness campaign (Have You Seen Rita) that will run for 10 weeks in London, beginning May 27th.
Several community partners have gathered to bring Rita De Book to life. The hope is that Londoners will start asking each other – What is Literacy? Actually, she has already met with area politicians to get this conversation started.
Whether you use a phone book, read a bus schedule or measure a piece of wood, literacy is there. The ability to read, write and use math gives each of us independence and power, said Tamara Kaattari, the Executive Director of Literacy Link South Central. “These skills help us to absorb and apply information at work and at home.”
Rita DeBook would whole heartedly agree, but just because she’s a mannequin doesn’t mean she won’t be heard. Between photo opportunities, meetings with politicians and her Facebook and Twitter accounts, Rita DeBook has finally given literacy a voice.
