It's Thanksgiving Day and it's only appropriate to take time today to stop and give thanks for all the Nebraskans that give freely of their time to make non-profit organizations work. In the third and final segment of "Thanks For Giving" series Ken Siemek and Lance Schwartz team up to highlight the Lincoln Literacy Council.

Lincoln Literacy Council is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping those who literally can't speak for themselves gain a voice in our community.

Artist Faridun Zoda came to Lincoln from Tajikistan in the Soviet Union in 1994. unable to speak English and lost in the culture of his new home, Zoda turned to the Lincoln Literacy Council for help.

"It's very important to speak language you know. It's like keys because it's not only communicating, it's also studying and history and culture and art and to understand people," said Zoda.

David Quiring, volunteering for LLC helped guide Zoda in his quest for knowledge.

"It made me feel very happy just wonderful that i was able to help him accomplish what his goal was," said Quiring.

In appreciation was David and the Lincoln Literacy Council had done for him, Zoda has immortalized Quiring in this beautiful mural he painted that adorns the north side of the Lincoln Literacy Building.

A work of art that gives testament to the council's mission and the lives it's changed.

Clay Naff is the executive director of Lincoln Literacy Council.

Naff said, "we call on volunteers from the community, we give them training and then we put them into classes or individually with students and let them teach them English and a lot about life here in Lincoln."

Lincoln Literacy will serve 700 adults and 300 children this year from all walks of life and from all over the globe.

"For our volunteers, the one comment we get more than any other is they say I got more out of this than my student did and I believe them because when I do teach a class that's how I feel," said Naff.

The community support with donations is vital but so is the volunteer teaching.

"There's really hardly any greater joy than teaching somebody how to do something than teaching someone to do something that empowers that person to live a better life," said Clay

Donna Stodig knows the feeling well.

Stodig said, "I really enjoy spending time with tabluc. The students are so tenacious. They always show up and she's studying she doing homework, she come in and she's excited, that's just inspiring for me."

Helping someone help themselves is a gift in any language. Lincoln Literacy council has an army of 200 active volunteers each year. 75 percent of the Council funding comes from public donations.