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It is estimated that 14% of the population in Broome and Tioga Counties is illiterate. These are your neighbors, friends, and family members, who cannot read to their children, make doctors appointments, obtain drivers licenses, or get or keep jobs. Literacy Volunteers of Broome Tioga Counties, Inc. is making a real difference in people’s lives by helping one person at a time. Here are some of the individuals we have assisted this past year. Steve* is 58 years old, married for decades to his high school sweetheart, the father of a high school honor student, gainfully employed with a reputable company…and had a secret he kept from most people. Steve could not read. At the age of 52, Steve decided to get the help he needed to make a difference in his life. He called Literacy Volunteers of Broome Tioga Counties in 1993, was evaluated, and matched with a volunteer tutor who still meets with Steve regularly. Over the past seven years Steve has progressed from barely reading the simplest materials to reading chapter books without assistance. His tutor still assigns weekly worksheets for homework. He reads the newspaper and has become interested in local history with his newfound skills. Most importantly, he has more confidence in himself. *not his real name Mary Jo Dee and Anna Kadoshnikov Anna Kadoshnikov trained to be a massage therapist in Israel after leaving her homeland of Russia. But when she came to the United States, she was fearful of speaking to people, afraid that her English wasn’t good enough to use her talents. She had a marketable skill, but knew very little English and had even less money. But this mother of five knew she had to take some action. That’s when she called Literacy Volunteers and Mary Jo Dee stepped in. Mary Jo is a blur of action working at the Anderson Center, substitute teaching, and making a home for herself and husband in Vestal. Mary Jo says, “I said that I was not going to get involved with my student. I was just going to teach reading and that was all. But that’s not how it has worked out. Anna is such a giving person--she is always bringing apples or candy, even flowers to our sessions.” Anna and Mary Jo emphasize that it is not just a matter of learning to speak better. She now she has more confidence to talk to people and has been able to start her own business at State Line Plaza in Little Meadows, Pennsylvania. Because of learning to read and write English, she is able to study health and training manuals with her tutor and can keep current in her field. “I have only worked with Anna for about 1-˝ years.” said Mary Jo. “It is obvious that she is very bright and has a strong personality to have accomplished so much. It has been rewarding to see the change. Her smile just warms my heart and we have a bond now.” Strong accomplishments have been achieved by a woman who recognized a goal and another woman who ended up choosing to “be involved.” Ruthann is a 42-year-old woman who graduated a year early from high school. Shortly afterwards she suffered brain injuries in a car collision and subsequently is unable to read well or remember much. Ruthann’s goal is to become a certified fitness trainer. She and her tutor are focusing on the exam text and Ruthann hopes to be ready to take the exam by this winter. Frank is a dishwasher at a local restaurant. One of his goals is to be able to read the menu and follow simple directions in order to advance to a salad preparer’s position. With the help of his tutor he has already obtained his own checking account and his next goal is to get a driver’s license. Ludmilla is recently married woman who left Brooklyn to move to Owego with her husband. She was part of a large network of Russian immigrants in New York City where she didn’t need to speak English very often. She and her tutor are presently exploring the sights of Tioga County and surrounding areas as Ludmilla learns to read and feel more comfortable in our community. Tiffany, a developmentally disabled young woman, was able to recognize only her name, the alphabet, and a few words. After meeting regularly with her tutor for a year she is now reading a simple version of Huckleberry Finn. Hong, manager of a local dry cleaner business, has lived in the United States for only a few years. With the help of his tutor, he passed his licensing exam for New York State Dry Cleaners Operator and plans to expand his business. In the last five years, Literacy Volunteers of Broome/Tioga Counties, Inc. has trained more than 700 local people to be tutors who work one-to-one with students teaching reading, writing, and speaking English. Since 2000, over 1200 people in Broome and Tioga Counties have been students in our programs of Basic Literacy instruction and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Your contribution is part of the solution to helping adults to read…one person at a time. CALL (607) 748-5478 FOR INFORMATION
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130 W. Main Street,
Endicott, NY 13760
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