Literacy Group Helps Area One Reader at a Time

After the Los Angeles riots, Gwen Thomas and other members of West Angeles Church of God in Christ began looking for ways to improve their South-Central neighborhoods.

The result was the West Angeles Empowerment Team, a one-on-one tutoring service sponsored by the church and its pastor, Bishop Charles E. Blake. And the volunteer literacy program’s coordinator is Gwen Thomas.

“We had no idea what we were going to do,” said Thomas, a Los Angeles resident. “We decided to see if we could assist people with basic skills and play a role (in the community).”

The Empowerment Team has joined forces with the Los Angeles Public Library Adult Reading Project in its effort to combat illiteracy, which affects about 1.5 million Los Angeles County residents. Volunteers were required to complete a 12-hour Laubauch tutor course, a nationally certified program administered by the project.

The Empowerment Team began with eight members trained to help South-Central Los Angeles residents in reading, writing and living skills. A year later, there are 83 certified tutors who work with first-time readers three hours a week over a period of six months at several libraries.

There have been setbacks. Since the library system has suffered drastic budget cuts, Thomas says it is difficult to find libraries that remain open late in the evenings and on weekends, a significant problem because most program participants work during the day.

Said Thomas: “They have diminished the hours and can’t hire new staff.”

Despite the cuts, Thomas hopes one day to establish a reading center at her church.

“I envision a center that would operate five days a week, have a full-scale reading center and have a state-of-the-art computer system,” she said. “We want to be the ray of hope in the community.”

In addition to her volunteerism, Thomas is a business instructor at West Los Angeles College. She attended that school before continuing her studies at Cal State Dominguez Hills. A native of Memphis, Tenn., she was the first member of her family to graduate from college and knows firsthand the value of education. She feels that her church involvement and volunteer work have helped give meaning to her life.

“I wanted to set an example,” she said. “I believe education is the key to economic survival and economic success. That’s why I believe so strongly in the literacy program.”

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Msgr. Royale M. Vadakin has been named to the board of trustees of Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.

Vadakin, a Roman Catholic priest, is pastor of St. Anastasia Church in Westchester. For more than two decades he served as director for the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He also is founding member of the Interreligious Council of Southern California, an umbrella organization of nine major religious groups.

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Los Angeles resident Ritu Batra has been named a 1994 Rhodes scholar to study at Oxford University in England.

Batra, a graduate of Palisades High School, is a senior at Harvard University majoring in history and science with an emphasis in biochemistry.

Betra was one of 32 U.S. students to win a Rhodes scholarship. She plans to spend two years at Oxford University studying genetics, philosophy and science.

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The University of Judaism will honor Jack M. Ostrow, who recently retired as chairman of the board of the University of Judaism.

Ostrow, a community leader, lawyer and business consultant, played an instrumental role in the university’s expansion and move from Hollywood to Bel-Air. He also created the Jack M. and Bel Ostrow Library at the university, which houses an extensive Judaica collection.

He will be honored at a dinner dance Jan. 27 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

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Home Safe Child Care Inc. has named Paula Kaplan, coordinator of Home Safe’s infant and family projects, as program director for the agency.

Kaplan, a clinical social worker and child development specialist, holds a degree from the UCLA School of Social Welfare, a master’s degree from the UCLA Graduate School of Education and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley.

Her duties as program director will include providing a comprehensive range of development, mental health and family support services for the Hollywood-based organization.

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Los Angeles City Councilman John Ferraro has selected 11 Westside residents to serve on a new Public Safety Steering Committee in the Park La Brea, Hancock Park, Windsor Square and Larchmont Village areas.

Members are Vita Cortese, Ned Fenton, Peggy Giffin, Barry Greenberg, Linda Scheid, Olga Shwefelt and Gene Sinser. Alternates are Paul Ash, Graydon Brittan, Ben Thompson and James Wolf.

Committee members will work directly with the council office and the Los Angeles Police Department to identify realistic and creative solutions to crime problems in the community. They will hold their first meeting later this month.

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Alfred Quinn has been elected chairman of the Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees.

Quinn, a longtime community activist, served as dean of student services for the college until his retirement in 1988. He was elected to the board three years ago. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at UCLA.

Colin Petrie, who was named vice chairman, has served on the board for more than 15 years. He is a retired math professor.

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