Literacy – Spanning the US: Sioux Falls SD :: Grimsby ON :: Apalachicola FL

Literacy:  Spanning the U.S.

Demand for adult reading tutors grows

Argus Leader: 7.22.2014 by Carl Anthony

As owner of Grand Prairie Foods, Valerie Loudenback has almost 50 employees with English as a second language.

"I am interested in trying to provide things that will enhance their job retention and their advancement," Loudenback said. "Reading is one of those very essential building blocks as far as being able to acclimate to our society and be a fully participating member."

Grand Prairie Foods is one of several local organizations and individuals who use services from Reach. The nonprofit, which used to be called the Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council, started as a prison ministry. It now assists adults struggling with reading and comprehension and is looking for volunteers to help meet a growing need.At Grand Prairie, the tutoring happens on paid time. The company hopes it will bring down barriers and negative stereotypes, Loudenback said.

"They may not respond to a poster somewhere else because of the stigma associated with illiteracy, but this is a safe environment," she said. "They are our employees, and we want to help them any way we can."

Reach Executive Director Paige Carda said the need for tutors outweighs the volunteers available.  READ MORE !

Never too late to learn to read

Niagara This Week: 7.29.2014

Grimsby Lincoln News

In an era when kids are graduating from high school at age 17, Robert Payea took a little longer to get his diploma.

About 41 years or so longer.

Not long ago, the Lincoln man had to choose the food he was buying in supermarkets by looking at the pictures on the tins or boxes because he couldn’t read the labels. Figuring out whether one of those little cans he was holding was tuna fish or cat food proved tricky.

When he reached the one-year mark of sobriety, Payea’s sponsor told him the next natural step for him as part of his recovery was to go something to get his life back on track.

That talk happened to take place in a church parking lot next to a library in town. Payea looked at the library, longing to be able to read books but ashamed of the fact that at his age he — like many other Niagara residents – couldn’t read.

He gathered up his courage and walked in the library, where staff told him about the Niagara West Adult Learning Centre. At the centre, Payea spent close to seven years working with tutor Sue Minchin.  READ MORE !

County literacy program shuts down

Apalachicola Times: 7.31.2014 by David Alderstein

After 27 years, growing from an all-volunteer outreach to a fully funded program with a full-time director, the Franklin County Literacy program has shut its doors.

The reason for the closure, said both the director as well as the chair of the board overseeing the non-profit Franklin County Literacy Inc., was a shortfall in funding leading up to the start of the next fiscal year in October.

“It’s a sad day. I’m not happy about it,” said Maxine Creamer, who has served as the program’s full-time director since 2007, after starting in 1997 as a community outreach specialist.

Because of the closure, Literacy will not accept about $35,000 in funding from the county commission, which would have started flowing in on Oct. 1, at the start of the next fiscal year.

“We needed $13,000 to continue from July through September and we didn’t have the money,” she said.  READ MORE !