In April, a streamer named LitGirl and her gaming community raised an incredible $1,515.64 for Decoda Literacy Foundation to help people across British Columbia improve their reading and writing skills.

Decoda’s work touches lives throughout BC — helping children, families and adults can gain the literacy skills they need to thrive in their communities. LitGirl’s passion for literacy, combined with her community’s love for storytelling, made Decoda a natural fit.

“I chose Decoda because I live in British Columbia and I wanted to see funds going to local initiatives,” said LitGirl. “I love the breadth of programming offered, and the EDI served by that mandate; the website is engaging and accessibility-oriented; the content—from website articles to giveaways— that Decoda has is excellent and useful; and, I loved that there was a library option for the fundraise.”

Live Twitch fundraiser supports children, families and library

On April 23, LitGirl hosted a live charity stream on her Twitch channel, twitch.tv/litgirlgames. She set a modest goal of $250 — but her fans, known as The Literatti, were so enthusiastic they raised more than six times that amount!

They didn’t just open their wallets — they opened their hearts. With games, laughter, book-themed giveaways and pun-filled banter, they built a bridge between entertainment and impact. They proved that change doesn’t always require grand stages or massive campaigns — sometimes, it just takes a good cause, a little charisma and a caring community.

“Events like LitGirl’s not only raise vital funds — they connect our cause with new audiences and help spread awareness,” said Gail Hanney, Director of Fund Development at Decoda. “We’re so grateful for this support and the caring community behind it.”

Thanks to The Literatti’s generosity, these programs will receive support:

• Immigrant Parents As Literacy Supporters (IPALS): Helps newcomer families support their children’s literacy development and prepare for school.
• Decoda Library: Loans books and learning tools by mail for free to anyone in BC.
• Fostering Literacy: Provides one-to-one sessions with a trained tutor to support children — especially those in government care — who struggle with reading.

You can still help

Missed the stream? You can still make a difference. Click here to make a donation today.

As LitGirl says, “Canadian adults are less than 50% likely to fully understand their government documents, among other things. We have to fix this, and we can! And it starts with initiatives like this.”

Be part of the change. Support literacy today.

If you’re interested in holding your own fundraiser to support literacy, contact Gail Hanney at ghanney@decoda.ca. We’d love to hear from you!