Eliminating Illiteracy

By Christine A. Setlock

A faith-based initiative to increase volunteers and summer workshops for kids are some of the new programs at Read to Succeed Buffalo, a non-profit organization aimed at battling illiteracy in the inner city.

The organization’s faith-based initiative involves working with churches and various faith-based organizations to recruit volunteers. Volunteers, including high school and college students, go through mandatory background checks and a training program geared toward teaching basic reading and writing skills to others. They can commit to one workshop, one day a week for two hours, or more.

“We’re continuing to increase our partnerships to work toward 100 percent literacy,” said Rhonda Bivins, Youth Engagement Coordinator at RTSB.

The workshops are an addition to the annual Summer Reads Challenge where children in grades K-12 are required to read seven books and write summaries. The summaries, left unfinished in previous years, led to the workshops, which are geared toward help in the writing process.

A new literacy plan, implemented for Buffalo since 2007, operates under a new model bringing learning centers right into the poorest communities. In the past, only seven to ten percent of people who need literacy services signed up, but half were dropping out due to transportation, child-care and other issues, according to RTSB. Locating the center on bus lines and in populated residential areas seeks to change the difficulty in meeting illiteracy where it is. The organization develops models for literacy and plans to replicate them in other parts of the city.

Thirty percent of adults in Buffalo, or 65,000 people, read at or below the fifth grade level, according to the Read to Succeed website. In addition, 40 percent of children entering Kindergarten and 60 percent of children entering forth grade don’t meet the minimum standard for literacy skills.

“Literacy is intergenerational, so in order to break the cycle of illiteracy, it’s from infancy to elderly,” Bivins said. “Some American people dropped out of school for whatever reason or just never learned to read.”

The days of factory jobs are changing with businesses leaving the WNY area and technology skills are needed in the workplace to stay competitive in finding employment. RTSB provides basic computer skills offered at their Read to Succeed Success Center on Delevan Ave., in addition to GED classes, book clubs and financial literacy learning to aid those who are less fortunate in advancement of skills.

Read to Succeed Buffalo is funded through The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, The John R. Oishei Foundation and The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation with additional fundraising efforts underway.

“We’re trying to get our information out so people have access to information and resources,” Bivins said.

Volunteers can become involved by calling 843-8895