Adult low literacy profoundly affects world, national, and local economies. Proliteracy, a literacy data warehouse, cites that 43 percent of adults with the lowest literacy levels live in poverty and their children are 72 percent more likely to be lower literate, creating a cyclical effect of generational poverty.
One out of five Maine adults has a low literacy level, meaning they may struggle to fill out job applications, understand prescription labels, or read to their children.
For more than 40 years Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties has been providing free, confidential one to one tutoring to adults who read at a 12th grade level or lower. On intake, the average reading level of LVFSC tutees is below a 6th grade level. One hundred percent of the students report difficulty writing grocery lists, reading food labels, getting a job, managing medications, using the internet, reading to children, or self-advocating. These adults need our accessible, effective literacy services to build foundational skills necessary for achieving life goals and securing better futures for themselves and their children.
Currently there are five adults in the Franklin County area with literacy goals waiting to be matched with a tutor. If you would like to be a part of changing lives through improving literacy, please call 500-3131 or contact us at literacyvolunteersfs@gmail.com to become a tutor.
Our next New Tutor Training will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 4-6 p.m. at Spruce Mountain Adult Education, 9 Cedar St. in Livermore Falls.
