The Alachua County Library District is seeking volunteers to help adults who struggle with reading and spelling.
Tim Conway, CEO of Neuro-development of Words, or NOW!, said a woman came to the program resolved to end her life if she did not learn how to read.
Conway said in this case, the program went beyond its educational role.
It changed the woman’s outlook on life throughout six tutoring sessions, and possibly saved her life.
“Adults who struggle with reading, that’s not an easy call to make — saying, ‘I need help,’” said Theresa Sterling, the literacy coordinator for the Alachua County Library District.
Sterling said the district is looking for volunteers ages 25 and older who will be trained at Headquarters Library, situated at 401 E. University Ave., from March 8 to March 24.
The training is free for volunteers, she said, and they do not need prior teaching or tutoring experience.
Conway, along with a team of professional development teachers from his corporation, will train volunteers in the Storywoods Room and Meeting Room B.
The library district partnered with Conway’s NOW! Foundations of Speech, Language, Reading and Spelling to offer the training, Sterling said.
She meets with adult learners one-on-one, then matches them with a compatible literacy volunteer.
The volunteers then meet with learners twice a week and use a hands-on approach to learning.
Conway said the program is not just about how to read or spell.
“That lack of reading skills really has a big impact on folks’ overall belief in themselves,” he said.
