A Pledge to Increase Literacy

One in five adults in the U.S. cannot read. That means more than 40 million Americans cannot fill out a job application, follow instructions on a medicine bottle or read to their children, according to a U.S. Department of Education survey. To change these statistics, Literacy Volunteers of America and Tic-Tac are sponsoring the fourth annual “Incredible Reading Rally,” March 1-14.

It works like a walkathon. Children and adults solicit pledges from friends, co-workers and relatives to sponsor them for every book or hour they read. Eighty percent of the funds raised will stay in participants’ communities. The remaining 20% will support Literacy Volunteers’ state and national efforts.

“Parents who cannot read are likely to have children with reading problems because they are unable to read to their children,” says Beverly Miller, Literacy Volunteers’ managing director of communications. “We are sponsoring the [rally] to encourage adults who lack literacy skills to seek help. We want reading to be as easy as breathing for everyone.”

Literacy Volunteers of America, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., is a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy by training volunteers to teach reading skills to adults.

For a pledge form, call (888) 575-READ or see https://www.literacyvolunteers.org.