Literacy: Spanning the U.S.
Organization helps those facing literacy barriers
WEAU: 2.04.2016 by Amanda Tyler
It’s something many of us take for granted, reading and
writing. One local organization says more than 10% of adults living in the
Chippewa Valley struggle in some way with literacy every day.
Thursday night they held a fundraising event to bring
awareness of the program and what it’s doing to help people who face every day
barriers.
“I knew that reading was always hard for me,” Hannah
Hrdlicka said.
Just a few years ago, the wife and mother from Eau
Claire says she was reading at a fourth grade level.
“I wanted to further my education and I found out I
was dyslexic,” she explained.
After discovering her dyslexia, she was pointed toward
Literacy Volunteers, an organization that helps people overcome barriers that
come with struggling to read and write.
“Reading billboards or even the map or speed signs the
exit signs at a building was hard,” Hrdlicka said.
Just last year alone, Literacy Volunteers helped more
than 456 people in Eau Claire, Chippewa and Dunn Counties like Hannah. VIDEO
Literacy makes lives easier
Library offering tutoring for adults
“You see the transformation because they want to help
[their] children,” said Rebecca Jauregue, a supervisor at the library.
She said learners sign up for tutoring for a variety
of reasons, from learning how to read or getting their GED or driver’s license
to helping them become citizens. “They all have different goals,” she said.
Zenaida Valencia, 37, has been getting tutored for a
little more than a year. She said she is working to acquire her high school
diploma.
“I didn’t do it when I should have done it when I was
in high school. I don’t know, it’s just something I need to do,” Valencia said.
Valencia needs 10 credits in algebra, eight in English
and five in civics to get her degree, and she said the tutoring has also been
helping her in her everyday life.
“Before I didn’t have any confidence. I was frustrated
... I was just getting mad at myself,” she said. “It’s made me confident when I
read. It’s OK to read something five times.”
Valencia attended Porterville High School, but dropped
out of school before getting her diploma.
“I made pretty bad choices in my life doing drugs and
alcohol, then dropped out when I was a junior,” she said.
She currently attends Porterville Adult School to earn
her diploma and said she found out about the tutoring program when she noticed
a friend making regular trips to the library, and found out he was getting
tutored. READ MORE @
Make a lasting difference by becoming a volunteer for
literacy
When I read Patrick Cunningham’s Jan. 29 guest column
on libraries, I thought, “What a lucky girl Molly is to have a father who so
values literacy and encouraged her love of reading from such an early age.”
But it saddens me that so many children don’t have the
same great start in life — children who aren’t surrounded by books, who aren’t
“hard-wired” for the love of reading and writing.
However, there are bright spots, organizations that
work tirelessly to fill the “literacy gap.”
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I taught ELLA classes at Nanini Library for two
semesters and had the good fortune of observing Mr. Eddie as he mesmerized
children with his dramatic flair, wit and over-the-top antics. The children
loved him, and I learned a lot about the effectiveness of being a
teacher/entertainer. READ MORE @
Program looks to expand, reach more in need
The building and classrooms are small, but their
purpose is something bigger than just teaching new skillsets.
The program itself, is a non-profit organization that
specializes in helping adults learn how to read. Many of the adults they help
are learning English as a second language.
Chelsea Heine took over as director of the program
last July and she says she has big plans for the program.
“I have huge plans, I like to dream and I like to plan
ahead,” Heine said. “I would like to see us functioning with three classes every
day, full classes. I would like to see the computer lab constantly running.”
However, the Carlsbad Literacy Program is faced with
new problems, including funding, lack of tutors and getting the word out to the
community.
“A lot of Carlsbad does not know about our services.
And I want our program to be an easily recognizable name,” she said.
Ashley Ramirez, board president for the program, said
the program has received a lot of help from state Rep. Cathrynn Brown, but no
local political support.
“But, we would love their support,” Heine said.
Ramirez also quickly agreed that local support from
city council or the county commissioners would be most welcomed. READ MORE @
Rockwall library receives gift, Adult Literacy Center
named in honor of donors
Acknowledging the receipt of a major gift to the
library, the election of new officers for 2016-2017, and hearing about the
expansion and new additions to the Dallas Arboretum highlighted the 2016 first
meeting of Friends of the Rockwall County Library held February 9 in the
library’s Community Room.
In announcing a recent gift of $75,000 from Rockwall
residents Gail and Jim McCurry, Friends President Gloria Bishop said, “Their
gift will enhance the library’s programs and services and ultimately benefit
the children, youth and adults of the entire Rockwall community.”
While the gift is unrestricted in its use by the
library, of special interest to the McCurry’s are the programs offered through
the Adult
Literacy Center which has been supported by Friends since
2000. In 2015, 464 adults were enrolled in the Literacy Center’s programs that
include GED preparation, English as a Second Language, and citizenship
preparation while 77 volunteer tutors contributed more than 4,100 hours of
instruction. READ MORE @
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