Oxnard Library - Adult Literacy at the Oxnard Library

Adult Literacy at the Oxnard Library
Ventura County Star: September 23, 2009
by Barbara Warrington
Oxnard is a city where people help one another!

This story is only one of many heart-warming examples from the Adult Literacy Outreach Program at the Oxnard Library where volunteer tutors help their Oxnard neighbors make progress toward their goals by improving their reading and writing.

One of the Literacy Program's tutors-in-training is a City of Oxnard employee who found out about the volunteer opportunity through her friend who is an adult learner in the program. This "to be" tutor habitually stops at Starbucks on her way to work on weekday mornings. At those times she is dressed professionally; so Saturday, when she stopped for her coffee before coming to the training class, the person behind the counter, who recognized her, noticed her casual dress, and asked where she was headed. She replied that she was attending the tutor-training class for the Literacy Program at the library.

Upon hearing that, the Starbucks employee came around from behind the counter, and with teary eyes, gave the new tutor a hug and said, "I just have to thank you for being part of such a wonderful program where people help because it comes from their hearts. I know people who are getting tutoring, and what you are doing is so important. Thank you!"

The future tutor will never forget the sincere gratitude of this person and is glad that she decided to become another Oxnard citizen who will help others in this way.

If you are interested in being trained as a tutor or you know of someone who could benefit from being helped in literacy skills, please call the Oxnard Library Adult Literacy Outreach Program at 385-7536.