NEWPORT BEACH : Literacy Program’s Volunteers Honored

Ray has kept his illiteracy a secret from his family, friends, business partners and his last three therapists. He learned to use the dictionary to look up nearly every word that he writes, he avoided job interviews where he would have to fill out forms and he still will not leave a note or written message for a roommate or friend.

“I’m deathly afraid of my neighbors finding out, and the people I work with,” said Ray, 36, who asked that his real name not be used. “Reading and writing are a gift that I never got.”

But about a year ago, Ray became one of more than 170 people to join the Newport Beach Public Library’s adult literacy program. Since the program started 18 months ago, it has become one of the largest in the county.

On Friday, organizers held their second annual awards ceremony to honor volunteers and students. Director Marcia Hendricks said that even though the program is expanding, it can still handle everyone who asks for help.

“It grew so rapidly,” Hendricks said. “And it seems sort of strange that it is in Newport Beach . . . until you consider that 14% of the population of Newport Beach did not graduate from high school.”

In addition to 170 students, there are 220 trained volunteer tutors who go through an 18-hour instructional program, then meet weekly with their students to work on everything from basic reading to building vocabulary.

Students meet once a week for a group writing workshop. At the same time, they discuss questions, problems and provide emotional support to one another because, as Ray said, “not being able to read is a very stressful thing.”

Hendricks said the Newport Beach program not only teaches people to read but taps into a large pool of volunteers and helps the business community upgrade the reading skills of employees.