Hemet Library ◯ Gives Adults Reading, Life Skill

Hemet Literacy Program

Gives Adults Reading, Life Skills

PE: 12.20.2019 by Diane A Rhoades

As Christmas Day nears and people get ready to give and get cherished gifts, students in the Hemet Adult Literacy Program already have celebrated.

A Saturday, Dec. 14, holiday luncheon brought them together to share their stories. Looking forward to the lifelong gift of reading, each is thankful for a program that is helping them reach their goals.

Lea Ashworth started as a volunteer tutor in 2003 but soon became a Families for Literacy coordinator and is now the adult literacy coordinator.

“I have always had a huge love of reading and I am passionate about wanting to share that with others,” she said. “I want to help our adult learners with their reading and writing skills so they can have a better quality of life.”

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Some want to search the internet, be able to follow a recipe, help children with homework or read a story to them, interact with their child’s school or teacher, be able to read and understand a rental agreement or help others by reading a medicine label. The program has 90 adult learners and 20 tutors.

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The program, which began in 1985, is paid for by a grant from the California State Library with contributions from the city of Hemet. Free to adult learners, it is offered as a service of the Hemet Public Library, where it is located.  READ MORE >>

Hemet Library :: Adult Literacy FUN-draiser :: June 12

Tony Suraci

"The Highwayman" Show

June 12

Hemet Theater

A Benefit for Hemet Library’s Adult Literacy and Children’s Reading programs

His Band will play tribute to the outlaw country music’s original Highwaymen:

Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.

Tickets are on presale for $25.00 ea. at the door $30.00.

Hemet Library - Walk for Literacy Awareness 2015

Walk for Literacy Awareness

Hemet Library Adult Literacy

September 26 | 9:00am

Downtown Hemet

Join us as the Hemet Adult Literacy Advocates and the community walk for Literacy Awareness, Saturday, September 26, 2015.

Registration and checkin begin at 9:00 AM and we will begin our 1 mile walk around downtown Hemet at 9:30 AM.

Registration is  $10/adult and $5/children 5-12.
Join us in this fun and enlightening event!

Costly Cuts: $7 million cut from adult literacy programs

STATE: $7 million cut from adult literacy programs
Press Enterprise: 12.16.2011 by Kevin Pearson

Library directors across the region are worried about the future of adult literacy programs in the wake of sweeping budget cuts the state announced this week.

If the programs don’t survive, people like Beaumont’s Larry Washington may never learn to read.

Washington, 57, is one of hundreds of adults in Riverside County who are enrolled in those state-funded programs that teach adults how to read and write.

Among almost $1 billion in total budget cuts, roughly $16 million will be slashed from libraries, including about $7 million designated to fund literacy programs.

Eight libraries in the Inland area have literacy programs, which are for native English speakers. The amount of state money they had been receiving was based on population.

“This is devastating to California libraries,” said Hemet Library Director Wayne Disher, who serves as president of the California Library Association. “It’s really sad. You try and be as positive as you can, but how do you do that when someone has taken everything you have?

“I think we will see a good portion of them, at least half of the literacy programs, will be forced to close.”

COSTLY CUTS

But how much longer those services will remain is in doubt. In Hemet, Disher is hoping the library’s financial backers can help secure the $15,000 needed to keep the 90-person adult literacy program afloat through the end of the fiscal year June 30, but he is worried what might happen if the money runs out.

A number of Inland libraries had already begun to brace for budget cuts, which extend beyond the adult literacy programs, but others were hopeful that the governor would keep some of the funding intact. But with all the funds cut, libraries are now pondering their next move. READ MORE !

Hemet Library - Longtime literacy director retires - Lori Eastman

Longtime literacy director retires

Valley Chronicle: 7.03.2011 by Charles Hand

Lori Eastman’s career as the adult literacy coordinator for the Hemet Public Library has ended after 17 years.

Maybe.

Though the newly retired Eastman says she plans to take some time off and do some traveling with her equally newly retired husband, she doubts that she can stay away for good.

“It’s not a job; it’s a passion,” Eastman said.

But her career was more or less an accident.

She was looking for a job when a friend, her predecessor in the coordinator’s chair, suggested she become a tutor. “I found what I needed to do in my life,” she said.

When the former coordinator retired, Eastman stepped into the job and stayed there until her husband decided to retire.

Thus it was that another veteran adult literacy employee moved into the job in much the same way Eastman had all those years before.

Lea Ashforth describes what she does in much the same terms that Eastman uses, as a passion that goes well beyond a job. She started as a volunteer more than eight years ago and has been an employee in the program more than five years.

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Though demand for the program’s services remains strong, hours of operation have been cut from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday to accommodate funding reductions.

The program is grant supported, but even grants have been reduced.

Ashforth said she hopes the remaining grant withstands the budget cutting at the state level so the doors do not have to close, but there is no way to know what the future will bring. READ MORE !

Demand for adult literacy rises as funding threatened - Corona Library - Hemet Library

Demand for adult literacy rises as funding threatened
Press Enterprise: 2.23.11 by Dayna Straehley

John Zickefoose's interest in education and literacy is personal.

After struggling with dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder from elementary through high school, he finally turned for help to the library where he now works.

He was 35 years old and could no longer work in his home-repair business because he needed back surgery and a new career. His 7-year-old son read better than he could.

So 17 years ago he walked in the Corona Library and embarked on a journey of literacy.

Today, Zickefoose is on the board of an international literacy organization and the Corona-Norco Unified School District. He is outreach coordinator at the Corona Public Library.

"I owe my life to this library," he said. "It totally transformed me as a human being."

Such transformations could become more elusive as governments struggle to balance the budgets. Demand for adult literacy services in the Inland area is higher than ever, but funding cuts threaten the programs run from public libraries.

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Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget would eliminate the $4.5 million the state provides to adult literacy programs such as the one at Corona's library.

Inland coordinators don't know how they will keep their programs going without state money.

"For every $1 of state funds, $4 of private donations are leveraged," said David Harvey, president and CEO of ProLiteracy. The international organization supports programs at the local level. It offers advocacy assistance as well as reading materials for adult learners.

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SMALL BUDGET, BIG RESULTS

Lori Eastman, literacy coordinator for Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Services, said Zickefoose's beginning on the road to literacy is typical, although he has gone further than most. Adults are most often in their 30s or 40s, forced to make a career change and embarrassed because they can't help their children, she said.

Four adult learners in Hemet echoed many of the same frustrations that brought them to seek help learning to read and write better, although they wouldn't give their full names because they too are embarrassed about their disabilities. They said they wanted to help their children with their schoolwork and set a better example. They told of lifelong learning difficulties.

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Eastman said the city of Hemet supplements the $30,000 that comes from the state. Supplies come from donations and fundraisers, she said.

Corona Library Director Julie Frederickson said she is hopeful that community donors and the city will keep the literacy program afloat if state funding is cut.

Harvey was less optimistic.

He said the state funds are seed money for all of the libraries' and literacy programs' fundraising efforts.

"The private sector is never going to be able to replace the publicly funded core," Harvey said. READ MORE !

Hemet Library - Walk A Mile for Literacy 2010

Walk-A-Mile for Literacy

Hemet Public Library

September 25, 2010

9 am – 11 am

Raise money and awareness at the 5th annual Walk-A-Mile for Literacy, Hemet Public Library.

Participants walk a mile-long route around downtown Hemet. They stop at banks and restaurants and experience what it's like to not be able to write a check or read a menu.

"We want to bring awareness to the community of what it's like to live with illiteracy every day," said Lori Eastman, literacy coordinator at Hemet Public Library.

Eugene Cruz , 33, of San Jacinto, volunteered at Walk-A-Mile last year and is a literacy tutor."I really appreciate how hard these students try to learn," he said. "I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I am helping someone."

Click Here or Call: 951 . 765 . 3856

Hemet Library - Stricken author who had to relearn to write to discuss book in Hemet

Stricken author who had to relearn to write to discuss book in Hemet
Press Enterprise: May 8, 2010 by Brian Rokos

Author Megan Timothy will discuss her new book and promotional journey from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on (May 13)Thursday at the Hemet Public Library, 300 E. Latham Ave., in Hemet.

Timothy, who suffered a stroke in 2003, credits the library's adult literacy program for helping her relearn to write and speak.

She rode her bicycle 12,000 miles to promote "Let Me Die Laughing! Waking from the Nightmare of a Brain Explosion."

Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Timothy will donate a percentage to the library's adult literacy services.

Hemet Library - Couple Marks Long Union

Couple Marks Long Union
Press Enterprise: November 4, 2009 by Diane A. Rhodes

Sixty years ago today, when Rose Mary and William "Al" Konersman said "I do" in Florissant, Mo., they probably did not envision themselves celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary at Soboba Casino.

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The Hemet couple met at McDonnell Aircraft Co. while Al was attending college to earn an engineering degree and Rose Mary was a secretary. "That was back in the days when we wore those high heels with the pointed toes," said Rose Mary, 85.

After Al started his full-time career as an aeronautical engineer, Rose Mary settled into homemaking and mothering. The couple has two daughters and a son. They lived in seven states before retiring to the Valle Vista area of Hemet about 12 years ago. The couple wasted no time in giving back to the community they chose as home.

"Volunteering has always been a big part of Al's life," said Rose Mary. But she joins her 83-year-old husband at the Adult Literacy Center, where they both tutor twice a week."If you ever get a chance to do this -- try it -- it is so rewarding," she said. They have just started their third year of tutoring. Information, 951-765-3856. READ MORE !

Hemet Library - Walkers Take Steps to Promote Literacy - Walk A Mile For Literacy 2009

Walkers Take Steps to Promote Literacy
Valley Chronicle: October 2, 2009 by Jenna Hunt

If you can read this sentence, you are one of the lucky ones living in the San Jacinto Valley because some of your adult neighbors can’t read.

The fourth annual Walk-A-Mile for Literacy fundraiser Saturday in downtown Hemet aimed to shed light on illiteracy in the community.

“We have a record number of walkers,” said Lori Eastman, the library’s literacy coordinator. “We want to bring awareness of what the struggles are like.”

The 2000 census showed that 26.5 percent of the area’s population did not have a high school diploma and 17.3 percent read at below basic literacy levels, Eastman said.

During the walk, about 275 people of all ages stopped at displays that creatively showed how difficult it would be to try to go about daily tasks without literacy.

The number of people was about 25 more people than last year, Eastman said. The Hemet Police Explorers, a youth patrol, assisted with the walk. READ MORE !

Adult Literacy Awareness Month - Hemet Library - Huntington Beach Library

Adult Literacy Awareness Month

September Spotlight

on SCLLN Literacy Programs

Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Program

Through one-on-one and small group tutoring done by volunteers in the community, the program's goals are to promote and maintain the basic literacy skills of English-speaking adults so they may attain personal goals and participate more fully in society as parents and family members, as workers, and as community members and citizens.

Walk-a-Mile for Literacy
Sat, September 26, 9am – 11am
Join us as we "Walk-a-Mile for Literacy" to bring awareness of the need to improve literacy skills and to help eliminate the adult literacy problem in our valley. This is a fundraising event for the Library's Literacy Services. Participants need to register in order to win prizes and receive gifts. More information is available by calling: (951) 765-3856.

Huntington Beach Library Adult Literacy Program

Literacy Volunteers - HBPL, was founded by Linda D. Light in 1984. This group of outstanding people is the volunteer arm of the Huntington Beach Library Adult Literacy Program. The library staff trains volunteers to tutor adults in reading and writing. The staff evaluates students and matches them with trained tutors. Prospective students must speak English. Our students say the program helps them be better parents, improve their work skills, and have better lives.
More than 400 students and tutors currently participate in the program, and tutors are always needed. Literacy Volunteers - HBPL, an accredited affiliate of ProLiteracy America, is run by a 15-member Board of Directors.

In the Huntington Beach Public Library Literacy Center people from all over the world help each other every day. Our program is funded by the City of Huntington Beach, the California State Library, Community Development Block Grant funds, and corporate and private donations. Literacy Volunteers - HBPL's Nonprofit Federal Tax ID is 33-0374566.

Cook books $10, Book bags $10
Contact the Literacy Office for details !
Telephone : (714) 375-5102

Open Doors Literacy Newsletter

Hemet Library - Woman Finds More Than Literacy Skills

Woman Finds More Than Literacy Skills
Valley Chronicle: Aug 14, 2009 by Valerie Drew

Every morning, Laurie Heber wakes up and looks at a small bee figurine sitting on her dresser. The figurine includes the words “Believe in yourself,” and thanks to Hemet Adult Literacy Services, Heber said she is learning exactly how to do that.

For Heber, self-esteem is an issue. “I’m still working on building it up,” she said.

Heber graduated from the Adult Learner Leadership Institute (ALLI) in July. The program, which meets one Saturday a month for six months, teaches adult learners life skills, such as self-esteem, networking, and public speaking through practical exercises. The institute is funded by California Library Literacy Services and was developed by Henry Huffman, an adult learner in Santa Clara County in the late 1980s. Huffman completed the reading program and went on to become a tutor. He was an advocate of literacy and formed ALLI so learners could take their reading and writing skills to the next level.

Heber said the exercises helped her to improve her self-esteem, speak in front of large audiences, and become a leader in her community. One of the exercises required Heber to make a speech in front of the other participants at ALLI. “I was so scared!” Heber said. “But I felt comfortable because I knew people in the group weren’t going to laugh at me.” Her speech was about winning the statewide Writer-to-Writer competition last year.

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Lori Eastman — the literacy coordinator for the adult literacy program, which is run through Hemet Public Library — said Heber wants to stay in the program so she can continue to improve.

READ MORE !

Hemet Library - Literacy student takes craft seriously, wins contest

Literacy student takes craft seriously, wins contest
Valley Chronicle: Jan 5, 09: by Valerie Detwiler

Laurie Heber is the kind of woman that doesn't give up easily. She brings an attitude of excitement to everything she does - especially when it comes to her writing.

So it didn't surprise Lea Ashworth, a tutor with the Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Services and Heber's tutor, when Heber brought in a six-page letter to enter in the Writer-to-Writer contest.

It was a bit overzealous because the contest called for a one-page letter to a favorite author who had inspired the letter-writer.

“Laurie wrote six pages so basically we worked together to cut it down,” said Ashworth.

Lori Eastman, the Literacy Coordinator for the library, said they were working on teaching Heber that her first draft isn't her final draft and that writing is a process.

Heber's editing and hand work paid off when she found out she won first place in the “beginning” category of the Writer-to-Writer statewide library writing contest with her letter to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Heber's letter spoke of Wilder's books and their emphasis on family and how that helped Heber through a time when she was dealing with sickness in her own family.

Wilder's books comforted Heber through her high school years, said Heber.

Heber took first place out of 160 writers. READ ON

Hemet Library - DOING LITERATURE

DOING LITERATURE
Press-Enterprise: December 3, 2008 by Diane A Rhodes

For more than five years, the monthly Doing Literature program at the Hemet Public Library has attracted a steady stream of readers to its informal discussion series.

A few years ago, Raymond Rodgers was offered the group's hosting duties by the exiting Dr. Paul Obler.

"I accepted because it is so very important that we do what we can to preserve and promote literature in a world of waning interest in reading," said Rodgers, 78. "I have been reading since I was 4, and it is a major aspect of whatever it is that is me."

On Dec. 13, Rodgers, a part-time English and literature instructor at Mt. San Jacinto College, will offer "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens as the topic of discussion.

Although reading the book is not a requirement of participation, Rodgers said most attendees are avid readers who enjoy the selections.


There is no charge to attend the meetings, which are held on the second Saturday of each month from September through June. Meetings are from 10:30a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the downstairs conference room of the library at 300 E. Latham Ave., Hemet.

"The library provides the space and administrative support and the program is conducted by unpaid volunteers under the library's literacy program," Rodgers said.

The library tries to provide extra copies of the books for participants to check out. Information: 951-765-2440. READ MORE

Hemet Library - Hemet Library Raises Funds for Literacy

Hemet Library Raises Funds for LiteracyPress-Enterprise: 9.12.07 by Diane A Rhodes

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Some came in strollers, some in wheelchairs and many in sneakers to participate in the second annual Walk-A-Mile for Literacy on Saturday.

Hosted by Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Services, AmeriCorps and Hemet Adult Literacy Advocates, the event was intended to raise awareness and funds.

According to Adult Literacy Services Program Director Lori Eastman, nearly one in five adult residents of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley is functionally illiterate.

About 250 supporters who participated in Saturday's Walk-A-Mile for Literacy gather for a raffle at the Hemet Public Library.

The Walk-A-Mile route, which measures out to be closer to two miles, contained 15 checkpoints for about 250 walkers to stop and learn about the importance of reading. Each table provided tickets for prizes that were raffled off after everyone met upstairs at the library. READ ON

Hemet Library - Hemet library program teaches adults to read

Hemet library program teaches adults to read
Inland News: June 4, 2007 By Diane Rhodes

About one in five English-speaking adult residents of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley is unable to read or write well enough to function easily in day-to-day living, according to information provided by Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Services.

Thanks to this program, Kenneth Foster is no longer among them.
"When Kenneth first came to us he was at a very low reading level," explained Lori Eastman, who has been the center's services coordinator for about four years. "Part of the intake process is to discuss roles and goals. It's a way for us to be able to hone in on skills and give information to the tutors."

Foster's training was slow and frustrating at first.
"I had a desire to become a minister and I needed to know how to read," said Foster, of Hemet. "I was able to achieve that goal only because of the literacy center. I am reading before a group of people at church for the first time in my life."

Foster compared the feeling to what most women experience after giving birth to a child. "After all the pain, I have a beautiful thing here," he explained.

Growing up in Alabama, Foster's learning difficulties were not recognized or addressed while he was in school. He eventually dropped out. After marrying young and becoming a father, Foster turned to Job Corps to learn skills that would allow him to support his family. He was taught carpentry and earned his apprenticeship license.

"When I got on a job I worked twice as hard to win the confidence of my employer," said Foster, who added that he became excellent at memorization.
Foster began independent study at the center's computer lab about a month ago, using the newly purchased "Discover Intense Phonics for Yourself."

Eastman explained how the 30-lesson program systematically shows the learner how to build words. It also allows the learner to prove why a word is spelled the way it is. She said the computer program was purchased with proceeds from last September's "Walk-A-Mile for Literacy," which raised about $7,000 for the center.

Foster said he was working on the computer recently when a light bulb finally went off in his head. "I thought of all the skills I'd been struggling with since grammar school," said Foster. "I was so amazed the words were coming to me. It was so awesome."

Eastman said the program uses seeing, hearing and doing to reinforce what learners are taught. "A lot of people don't know what it's like to walk around and not know how to read signs or write down the simplest directions," said Foster.

"And you can't say anything because people tend to avoid you if they know you have a problem."

The Literacy Center at 315 E. Latham Ave. is open Monday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Information, 951-765-3856.

Hemet Library - Two residents serve as recruiters and tutors.

Two residents serve as recruiters and tutors.
Press Enterprise: Jan 29, 2007 by Jamie Ayala

Illiteracy can cause some people to risk accidentally killing their loved ones, miss out on job opportunities or forgo time with children.

If reading prescription drug bottles, applications and bedtime stories can make a difference in someone's life, Dorothy Rojas, a homemaker, and Phyllis Perea, a retiree, are determined to help.

The two AmeriCorps members work in the Hemet Public Library's adult literacy program through the statewide Library Literacy Services AmeriCorps Initiative. The library is one of 32 in California selected for the program, through which Rojas and Perea provide their help for two years.

"I feel so blessed," said Lori Eastman, literacy coordinator of the library's program, which offers basic reading and writing lessons to English-speaking adults.

Photo: Phyllis Perea, left, and Dorothy Rojas show some of the materials they use to tutor adults through the statewide Library Literacy Services AmeriCorps Initiative

Hemet Library - THE GIFT OF READING

THE GIFT OF READING
Press-Enterprise: November 22, 2006 by Diane A. Rhodes

If you can read this, you should consider becoming a member of the Hemet Adult Literacy Advocates.

HALA is a group for anyone who is concerned with alleviating illiteracy in our community. It was formed about four years ago by a small group of tutors.

"Generally, advocates are any adults who see the importance of our literacy program and helps us support it," said Literacy Coordinator Lori Eastman who operates the adult-literacy services through Hemet Public Library.

Working from a small budget, the group seeks grants and donations for its programs that serve more than 100 students.

HALA members do not have to be tutors, although several of them are. They just need to care about wanting to help English-speaking adults who are struggling with reading skills. Eastman said one in six Americans is functionally illiterate.

And in Hemet, 17.7 percent of adults are performing "below basic level" said Jose Cruz, executive director of the Southern California Library Literacy Network.

"This means they cannot even read a TV guide to find out what is on," she explained. "There are a lot of people who need our services."

HALA held a meeting last week to give thanks for the many blessings the literacy program has received during the year, including $7,000 raised from September's Walk-A-Mile for Literacy event.

About 20 people attended to hear about the importance of learning lifetime skills of literacy. Each donating a nonperishable item to a food drive to benefit residents of three alcohol and drug recovery homes in the area that receive literacy services.

Lea Ashworth, the Families for Literacy coordinator, encourages learners to read to their children. The learner works with Ashworth and his or her tutor to become comfortable reading aloud. The goal is to make reading fun for the whole family and to break the cycle of illiteracy.

Focusing on basic reading, writing and math skills, tutors work with adult learners on whatever they need to improve their quality of life.

Ray Strait, president of the Hemet Library Board of Trustees and a tutor for about five years, is helping a student prepare for the written portion of his driver's license test.

Part of the intake process is to discuss goals and what brought them to the program, Eastman said. It might be filling out a job application or learning food-related words and terms to get a job at a restaurant.

Eastman said that 70 percent of learners who set a goal of being able to vote were successful in meeting their goal.

Melany Piotrowski was a special education teacher for years. She found that problems in the home often contributed to reading difficulties.

HALA members meet each month at the Literacy Services center at 315 E. Latham in Hemet and pay monthly dues of $1.
Information, 951-765-3856

Hemet Library - People get moving for literacy event in Hemet: People take stand for education in Hemet

People get moving for literacy event in Hemet: People take stand for education in Hemet
Press Enterprise: Sep 9, 2006 by Diane Rhodes

More than 200 people learned what it was like to walk in the shoes of an illiterate person when they participated in the Walk-A-Mile for Literacy event on Saturday in Hemet.

Volunteers at Hemet Public Library Adult Literacy Services said the purpose was to raise funds and awareness of the issues faced by illiterate and low-functioning readers. The literacy center on Latham Avenue was the starting point for the walk that was completed in about an hour by most participants.

Ten businesses along the route educated walkers on the importance of reading skills through display placards, brochures and other handouts. They also distributed tickets for door prizes to those wearing an orange wristband containing the word "read" in several languages that signified they were walking for the cause.

"I need help reading menus, signs, instructions and my bank statements," said Melissa Stults, 27. "Everywhere I go I have trouble because I can't read very well."

Stults began the literacy program about two and a half years ago and says it has helped her improve. She looks forward to reading to her 16-month-old son, Joseph, and someday being able to help him with his homework.

When adult learners enter the program they are assessed by literacy coordinator Lori Eastman. Learners, about 100 a year, are then matched with one of about 60 tutors.

Brenda Mathews became a tutor four months ago. She said some learners state their goal is to read a map or bus schedule, while others want to learn how to read a newspaper.

"You see immediate growth," said Mathews. The adult learner she works with one on one is in her 70s and wants to read to her grandkids because right now they are reading to her.

Finders Keepers Antiques had a sign that showed the value of reading ads.

The point was illustrated by having one side of the board written in scrambled letters that did not form words.

Clare Herder took time to read the board with her son, Thomas, 6, before moving on to the next stop.

"See all the things you can't do if you can't read or write?" she asked him.

The first-grader was one of many children who showed up in bright-red T-shirts they earned at the library's summer reading program.

"We're just a book family," said Herder, of Hemet. "I can't imagine life without reading."

Mary Snow and Kathi Dukes from United Way explained how adults struggling with low-literacy skills may need help in other parts of their lives.

"Finding out about community services can be a challenge if someone can't read," said Dukes.

For more information on the program, call 951-765-3856.

Photo: Carol Stahr, left, offers handouts to participants in the Walk-A-Mile for Literacy event in Hemet on Saturday.

Hemet Library - Gaining literacy broadens Hemet man's horizon

LIBRARY PLANS CELEBRATORY ACTIVITIES:
Gaining literacy broadens Hemet man's horizon
Press-Enterprise: August 20, 2005 by Herbert Atienza

Since Edwin Catte learned to read, many doors of opportunities have opened.

In recent weeks, the 57-year-old Hemet resident received a license to operate a ham radio, allowing him to participate in an activity he has been fascinated with for years.

Also recently, he passed a test allowing him to obtain a food handlers permit, which he needs for his job at the local Wendy's restaurant.

Catte is among the hundreds of adult learners over the years whose lives were changed with help from the Hemet Public Library's Adult Literacy Services Program. The program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and a number of activities are planned for September, which is National Literacy Awareness Month.

The Hemet program, which receives most of its funding from the California State Library, helps adults gain literacy, either by pairing them with tutors or through self-study with education materials and computer programs. The learners must be at least 16, out of school and speak English.

"It really has changed my life," said Catte, who received a diploma from a high school in Ontario years before, but is first to admit that he just fell through the cracks and never did learn to read in school.

"Literacy affects people's life, health and employability," said Lori Eastman, program coordinator.

She said learning to read lets adult learners engage in activities that other adults take for granted, as well as opens a door that lets them be heard and make informed decisions.

Last year, about 100 adult learners and about 50 volunteer tutors participated in the program, she said.

"I believe that there has to be trust that develops between a learner and a tutor," said Dennis Hatfield, a 67-year-old Hemet resident who has been tutoring Catte for the past year.

"The learners cannot be embarrassed about making mistakes and (tutors) have to admit that they don't know everything," he said.

Hatfield, who retired as a production manager for 3M Co. in St. Paul, Minn., said he has developed a deep respect for adults who seek to become literate because they want to take charge of their lives.

He and Catte meet for a few hours two or three times a week, and they use workbooks that help build vocabulary and reading skills.

They worked intensively in recent months as Catte prepared to take the ham radio licensure test.

Catte said he was inspired to learn to read because he has always been fascinated with ham radio. He said he built his first receiver when he was 16.

"I got tired of listening and wanted to do it myself," he said.

When Catte needed to get a food handlers permit, the two of them studied a booklet with information that food handlers need to know.

Catte said the tutorial sessions with Hatfield let him learn at a comfortable pace.

"He doesn't push me; he has a lot of patience with me," Catte said. "He's become not just a tutor, but a friend."

The Hemet Public Library is planning activities to celebrate National Literacy Awareness Month:

READ-A-THON to mark International Literacy Awareness Day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sept. 8, at the Hemet Public Library, 300 E. Latham Ave.

HOW TO READ ALOUD workshop, 6:30 to 8p.m., Sept. 13, Hemet Public Library Conference Room.

LITERACY AWARENESS FAIR and Adult Literacy Services Open House, 10 a.m. to 2p.m., Sept. 17, 315 E. Latham Ave., Hemet

S-C-R-A-B-B-L-E Tournament, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21, Hemet Public Library