City supports increased
literacy rates
“Low literacy costs this country more than $225 billion each year in workforce
non productivity and the loss of tax revenue due to unemployment,” Heather
Pizzuto, library & cultural arts director, said.
In
California, 4.5 million people cannot read above a fourth-grade level, Pizzuto
said.
“The
program is not just a worthy cause, but a necessary service,” Carrie Scott,
community outreach supervisor for the library, said.
At
any time the free program has between 70 and 80 pairs of tutors and learners.
Volunteers
and learners must agree to an hour and a half of service, twice a week for a
minimum of six months.
Scott
said there’s no shortage of volunteers or learners although matching up
people’s schedules can be a problem. The larger the pool of volunteers and
learners, Scott said, the easier it will be to match people.
Another
issue the program faces is getting the word out to the people who need it the
most, Scott said.
“You
don’t know who might struggle with reading and writing in their lives,” Scott
said, “which is why it’s so important to get the word out.”
A
lot of learners hear about the program through word of mouth.
Nyla
Henry is an adult learner who heard about the program from her boss and said
the program has greatly impacted her.
“This
program has given me a new life,” Henry said. “I still have challenges but I
have tools to help me work through them and overcome them.” READ MORE !
