Literacy – Spanning the US :: Fredonia NY :: Napa CA:: Chicago IL :: Buckhannon WV

Literacy: Spanning the US

Literacy Volunteers 

Of Chautauqua County

Literacy Group Helps Provide Language Skills

Post Journal: 12.07.2019 by Breanna Nelson

Imagine not being able to talk to your child’s doctor or teacher.

Imagine not being able to fill out a job application.

Imagine not being able to read a warning label.

These are just a few examples of daily struggles some people face listed in the brochure for Literacy Volunteers Of Chautauqua County, at the group’s Fredonia location. For any number of reasons there are many individuals who, at any age or in any walk of life, are not able to fluently read or speak English. The organization helps anyone who needs to work on their English skills, from any native language, and they do it for free.

Julie LaGrow, Literacy Volunteers Of Chautauqua County director, discussed what she has seen while working with the organization as the individual who helps new students get started.

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Looking to branch out from the basic English education they provide now, LaGrow said they hope to delve into financial literacy and computer literacy.

With computer literacy, the organization is looking to help educate individuals who may need a little extra help keeping up with technology. LaGrow stated that in a world that is evolving constantly, having basic computer skills has become more and more of a necessity. The course is slated to be simple, but will help educate on the basics for things like text documents and emails.

For financial literacy, LaGrow said she is looking toward eight-to-10-week courses with one for high school students, one for college students and one for adults. The courses would help with subjects such as bank account management, keeping a checkbook register and understanding credit cards.  READ MORE >>

Gunning Fog Index: 10.92

punctuation marks: 23  words: 269   3+ syllable words: 42

 ‎@Napa_Library

Wash The Clothes, Read A Book: Library Laundries Come To Napa

Napa Valley Register: 12.10.2019 by Jennifer Huffman

A handful of local laundromats are now offering something extra to go along with the spin and dry cycles.

Books. Library books.

The library has come to the laundromat.

@CalReads

Thanks to a California Library Literacy Services Family Literacy grant, the Napa library has installed children’s “libraries” inside two Napa laundromats. And more library laundries are on the way.

“It’s the perfect place” to promote reading, said Robin Rafael, literacy and volunteer services supervisor at the Napa County Library.

“In many ways, the laundromat is a perfect place to provide families access to library books: going to the laundromat is part of a family’s regular weekly routine; parents have time to give children their undivided attention; laundromats are an unintimidating place for children to develop their early literacy skills, and laundromats are often open 24 hours a day,” she wrote in an email.  READ MORE >>

Gunning Fog Index: 13.61

punctuation marks: 11  words: 142   3+ syllable words: 30

@ChiCityLiteracy

Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition (CCLC) Provides the Gift of Reading to Immigrants

PR Newswire: 12.12.20219 by Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition

CCLC is giving the gift of reading to immigrants in Chicago's communities everyday as well as this holiday season. A year's worth of success is being celebrated this week as CCLC looks back on some of the coalition's biggest accomplishments and success stories. One success is Brigith, who was given the gift of reading through CCLC's partnership with Centro Romero.

@CentroRomero

"It's difficult to find a place that actually, really wants to help you and give you a hand to grow in a country that is not your own. But I have been lucky and I am blessed to have found Centro Romero. I remember clearly the first day I came to Centro Romero to get help… At Centro Romero, I do not just see a place of study or work, I see it as family." Brigith  READ MORE >>

Gunning Fog Index: 13.95

punctuation marks: 6  words: 132   3+ syllable words: 17

Rotary Learns Literacy Issues

Record Delta: 12.04.2019 by Alison Harrison

Tuesday afternoon was chock-full of business and information for local Rotarians. The group will be partnering with the Parish House and Director Kristi Wilkerson to hand out Christmas baskets on December 19 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., helping out community friends in need of a little extra support this season. After the discussion of club business, the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur welcomed Kristy Stewart as the guest speaker for the noon meeting.

Stewart is the Director for Literacy Volunteers of Upshur County (LVUC). Stewart is a longtime AmeriCorps VISTA and VISTA Leader. LVUC is now located in the small white building at the entrance of Amalia Drive going to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Stewart noted the kindness of Skip Gjolberg, hospital President, for providing a rent-free office space that allows the organization to continue helping to better the citizens of Upshur County.

Stewart stated, “Most of our students have special needs.” The Life Skills Workshops will help persons with basic life skills such as sewing a button or checking the oil in a car, often tasks that most take for granted in daily life. Stewart explained, “This is an opportunity to help the community better itself.”

In Upshur County 19% of citizens are illiterate, meaning they cannot read above a third-grade level according to Stewart’s statistics. “To put it in perspective one must be able to read on a sixth-grade level to pass the written part of the driving test so most of our students cannot drive.”

Stewart ended her address to the Rotarians by stating, “It is something we don’t think about until we are faced with it, we are trying to help make a change to make it easier for those of use that are having struggles that there are accommodations.”  READ MORE >>

Gunning Fog Index: 11.02

punctuation marks: 18  words: 293   3+ syllable words: 33