When the name “Wildenthal” is mentioned, most folks think of Kern. But there is another Wildenthal who has made major inroads in the area of education. That person is Kern’s wife, Marnie. A lifelong educator, she has turned her attention since 2002 to the Vickery Meadows Learning Center.
If the VMLC is new to you, it’s probably because you haven’t needed its resources. The center annually helps “to improve English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and young children.” This service targets “three high-density, low-income neighborhoods — West Dallas, Vickery Meadows and Bachman Lake.”
But back to Marnie. Over the years, her VMLC involvement has been far more than a weekly drop-by and volunteer-for-an-hour. She’s “been a dedicated volunteer teacher” who “has also served three terms on the Board of Directors and served as Board President in 2011-2012. Marnie has impacted the lives of countless individuals, helping them improve their lives with the gifts of English literacy.”
On Monday, March 24, VMLC’s 2014 Wings of Spring: A Celebration of Literacy at Arlington Hall will honor Marnie as the recipient of VMLC’s Literacy Legacy Award. Committee Chair Beth Gold and Co-Chair Ashley Coleman have arranged an evening that will include “a cocktail reception followed by a performance featuring the charismatic musical ensemble ‘Time for Three,’ the world’s first classically-trained garage band.”
According to VMLC Executive Director Sarah Papert, “VMLC is thrilled to honor Marnie as the recipient of our Literacy Legacy Award. She has been a dedicated volunteer teacher at VMLC since 2002 and has impacted the lives of countless individuals, helping them improve their lives with the gift of English literacy. Her volunteer service to VMLC has been unmatched.”
VMLC Board President Gayle Johansen reports that during the past two years, Wings of Spring has raised more than $450,000 to “help families from 48 countries learn English.”
The translation: Annually 1,000 adults and 200 young children are better functioning members of the community because they can communicate, thanks to VMLC and people like Marnie.