Train to become a literacy tutor; volunteer opportunity in Bloomfield, NJ

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Barry spent his childhood in the basement of an uncle’s New York City home, often left alone, or with one of his 13 siblings, and not permitted to attend school.

Somehow he survived a youth marked by neglect and no formal education, and, at age 50, learned to read and write with the help of one of our volunteer tutors. This year he won the top memoir-writing contest prize from New Jersey’s largest adult education advocacy organization and is hard at work penning an autobiography that has spurred interest from New Jersey to Japan.

Many students at Literacy Volunteers of America did not have the opportunity to attend or complete school. Some had to forgo their education in order to work and help support their families. Others could not afford school fees, even small fees for uniforms and books required by local education organizations.

At LVA, we believe all adults deserve a second chance to improve their lives, and those of their families, by improving their literacy. Our students come from the U.S., like Barry, and more than 100 other countries around the world.

In Essex and Passaic Counties, one in four adults is functionally illiterate, according to U.S. Department of Education data. They cannot complete a job application, pass a motor vehicle test, or understand a letter from a child’s teacher.

Please consider joining our September tutor training sessions at the Bloomfield Public Library, on Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, Sept 12-28, 2016, and you could become a tutor by the end of the month. Help change a life today.

Register today by calling 973-566-6200, ext 217, emailing Russell at rbenali@lvaep.org, or through our website, www.lvaep.org