Published October 2002

Literacy group changes lives one person at a time

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

Imagine not being able to find an intersection on a map, fill out an employment application or pay your utility bill — all because you couldn’t read.

In the United States, 21 percent of the 191 million people aged 16 or older function at Level I Literacy, the lowest level of literacy. In Snohomish County, these people have a place to turn for help: the Snohomish County Literacy Coalition.

Photo courtesy of Snohomish County Literacy Coalition A tutor with the Snohomish County Literacy Coalition (right) gives one-on-one ESL instruction to her student, a woman from the Middle East who is working to improve her English.

Formed in 1986 with the cooperation of social service agencies, employment services, community colleges, libraries and corporate affiliation, the SCLC is a nonprofit organization that provides training for volunteers to be literacy tutors and matches tutors with students.

Last year, 135 SCLC volunteers tutored 400 students in such subjects as basic literacy, English as a Second Language, English conversation and basic math, said Karen Davies, SCLC coordinator.

Many of these students are directed to the tutoring program by other service agencies, such as the state departments of Employment Security and Social and Health Services, and educational organizations such as Everett, Edmonds and Cascadia community colleges, Davies said.

“There are a lot of different reasons that people get help,” she said, recalling a recently widowed 70-year-old man who realized he couldn’t pay his own bills after decades of relying on his wife’s reading ability. Or the many newly arrived immigrants who want to get a job to support their families.

“And women tend to come in because they want to be able to read to their children,” Davies said.

Coming forward for help is an act of courage in a society where there’s a stigma attached to illiteracy, she said. When they do come forward, the SCLC matches them with one of their volunteers, who have taken 10 hours of training provided by Karen Schilde, a faculty member at Everett Community College.

The volunteers meet with their students regularly each week. For some, daytime meetings work best; for others, evening sessions work better.

“Our volunteers are wonderful people who are generous with their time,” Davies said, noting that the volunteer pool is shrinking as people’s lives get busier.

Funded in part by a grant from the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the SCLC also is supported through fund raisers, donations from individuals as well as grants from other organizations that support the cause of literacy, Davies said.

“I think everyone realizes it’s a huge issue affecting many areas,” she said.

For more information on the SCLC, call 425-388-9539.

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