Betty Stauffer, executive director of Literacy Connects, recently wrote a blog post announcing the nonviolence coalition We Stand Together Network will hold a nonviolence and activism training session at 9 a.m. Jan.14 at the YWCA at, 525 N. Bonita Ave. in Tucson.

Literacy Connects is a connector of people; the group connects to and with people of all ages, creeds, races and religions. Stauffer said that this is a "scary time" for many immigrants and refugees in the Literacy Connects programs.

Literacy Connects programs are a safe haven, she wrote. "We are proud to work with anyone who wants to learn and proud to advocate for their safety and rights whenever we can."

In Tucson and elsewhere in the United States, hate crimes have spiked since the election. Literacy Connects has joined the We Stand Together Network to offer resources that help advocate for others against hate crimes.

The We Stand Together Network launched Nov. 30 with a special event attended by more than 400 people. Some of the speakers shared stories of the pain of discrimination.

"The primary message I took away from the evening was that none of us can remain silent any longer," Stauffer said. "If we see a hate crime in progress we need to call 911 immediately. The harder part is to not remain silent when we hear discriminatory or hateful comments and jokes."