(above, l-r) Barbara Hathaway, Jerry Green, Sydell Kessler-Levy, Liela Bernstein, and Mike Krasner were among 60 volunteers celebrated for their years of volunteer service with Literacy New Jersey.
Volunteer Tutors Recognized for “Sowing the Seeds of Literacy”
Submitted by Nancy Lama
In July, a night of celebration and recognition was held for Literacy New Jersey’s volunteer tutors at the Westfield Presbyterian Church. Over sixty tutors were recognized for years of service working with adults in Union County who struggle with reading, writing, and speaking English.
The theme of the event, “Sowing the Seeds of Literacy”, reflected how tutors cultivate a positive learning environment in which students grow their skills and achieve important personal and professional goals. Literacy NJ tutors help adults improve their language skills, enabling them to find better jobs, advocate for their children at school, earn a high school diploma, and/or prepare for college.
ESL students Ioannis Petrou and Flor Barrera spoke about their increased confidence communicating with customers, teachers, doctors, and friends. Charles Baldwin thanked his tutors for giving him his life back by teaching him to read, and HSE student Shawn Boatswain described his journey from a small Caribbean island to earning a Master’s Degree from Kean University.
Literacy New Jersey offers tutoring to adult residents of Union County in three areas: basic reading and writing, English as a Second Language, and preparation for the High School Equivalency exam. Tutors choose an area of interest and then typically volunteer two hours a week, working with a small group of students.
For more information about becoming a volunteer tutor, or the program in general, please call 908-486-1777 or email bhathaway@literacynj.org.
