As a prolific reader, I found my niche when invited to take a tutoring class. The class made me realize how much I could help someone else share my enjoyment of reading. Then, as I began work with my first student, i realized that what I was doing was helping a young man to change and improve his life! Reading is so much a part of our world that those of us who know how to read do not realize the complications in a life without reading skills.
Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester, LVG, gives these skills to its students. The enthusiasm expressed when your student begins to 'get it' is what keeps our tutors working with students year after year without burning out.
LVG's dedication to improving the literacy rate in our community is its gift to Gloucester County and its citizens. With the dedicated tutors and board members that LVG has, it will continue it's mission for years to come.

I always wanted to become a ASE cerified Auto Mechanic, but in order for me to accomplish that goal I had to have either a High School Diploma or a General Educational Diploma (GED). that's when I decided that if I wanted a change in life then the first step to that would be for me to better my education. So, that is when I decided that I needed to achieve my GED.
I enrolled in the GED classes and about 4 months later my teacher, Ms. Burruss said that I was ready to take the actual GED test. Yes, I did accomplish my GED, so now that I have accomplished my GED I can now focus on my career in Auto Mechanics. Having my GED now will help me become a successful and productive in society. I could not have accomplished my GED withour the help of Ms. Burruss. I greatly appreciate the time that she spent working with me.

As a new board member I have observed first hand that Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester INC is an organization composed of dedicated, caring members who are making a real difference in the lives of so many people. Through their efforts there are adults who couldn't read and can now pick up a book and have a whole new world open to them. There are people who never finished school and now have their GED's and a chance for a better life. These members work to train new tutors, help inmates continue their education and teach English as a second language. Aside from all this they work hard to obtain the funds needed to maintain these vital programs. It is truly a privilege to be a part of such a fine organization.

As a new volunteer tutor for LVG, I recently had my first student receive her GED! I was so happy for her when I heard that she had passed. A few days later she came to my office and brought me a personal "Thank You" note and a small ceramic angel! I saved the note and the angel sits on my dresser as a reminder of why I volunteer.

The people we serve often cannot afford to travel far, let alone pay tuition and buy books. Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester, Inc. provides a much needed service to those wanting to earn their GED.

Literacy volunteers of Gloucester provides people a second chance to become a part of the literate world. How difficult would it be if you could not read ? We take for granted something as simple as ordering off a menu or reading your child's diploma. We do not realize how humiliating it could be for those who do not have these opportunities. Who uses this program? Some are adults who have gone through life looking at pictures in order to communicate in a world filled with words. Some are teens who have quit high school and use this program to earn their GED. Some are inmates hoping to improve their literacy skills in order to obtain a responsible job in society.No one is turned away because of their financial status or abilities to read. The volunteers are dedicated men and women who generously share their time and expertise. I would recommend LVG because it benefits not only those receiving literacy instruction, but it also strengthens our community.

One of the greatest achievements of our country is the public education system. Through education, our students acquire the academic skills necessary in life to develop into responsible and productive citizens. However, what does our society do for those students who have fallen through the cracks? You do not have to travel outside of Gloucester, VA to see firsthand that many of our youth are faced with a barrage of risks such as poverty, violence or crime before they have entered kindergarten. Risks such as these cause tremendous turbulence in a child’s academic journey. While some children will prove to be resilient, many are unable to surmount the obstacles that lie ahead of them. Consequently, the Department of Literacy reports that two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. These statistics illustrate just how powerful the gift of literacy truly is in our society.

Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester (LVG) is a program that helps pick up the pieces for adults who have faced tremendous hardships in life due to low reading achievement. By providing the gift of literacy, these men and women are given a second chance to reestablish the direction in their lives. This program also serves those who are rehabilitating back into society by providing them with the reading skills required for gainful employment. Without literacy skills, these men and women are caught in the cyclical pattern of having to depend on government assistance or even, crime, just to survive. Research indicates that parents who have gained literacy later in life are much more likely to foster this skill in their homes. Therefore, not only are the volunteers of LVG offering new hope to the adults for whom they serve, but they are securing a brighter future for the next generation as well. LVG is a dedicated and passionate organization that is truly making a difference in our community. The volunteers are not only sharing their expertise and time, but they are delivering a message of hope, dignity and compassion to the families that they serve.

Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester, Inc. (LVG) is an organization which has done much to improve literacy in Gloucester County, Virginia and adjacent counties. With volunteers that provide individual tutoring for adults seeking a GED, improved reading skills, English as second language and... preparation for the naturalized citizenship examination. The volunteers spend countless hours each week tutoring those who earnestly de4sire help with crucial literacy skills. Students receive tutoring by expert volunteers and all the associated educational materials free of charge, making the service affordable to any adult who applies for the service.

This is great organization that helps our Community. They do an excellent job. A great group of dedicated volunteers.

Today we have all the evidence we need that an educated society can change the world. "Twitter" and Facebook - which cannot be understood or used without reading skills - gave power to the Jasmine Revolution - now sweeping the middle East. Empowerment is exactly what the ability to read gives a person and it's my reason for wanting to help others acquire this vital skill. I hope all the Gloucester Literacy volunteers are celebrating the success of people like themselves who have give young people all over the world the tools to access ideas and power to make themselves free. I'm very proud of you. It's not always easy, but it is always rewarding.

As an early childhood teacher for 30 years now, it is VITAL that young parents be able to share literacy experiences with their young children. This is the first, foremost, and most lasting experience a child will have in their acquisition of knowledge. Parents are such important "first teachers" for their children. Reading together is such a special thing that parents can do for their youngsters. However, this is not always possible if parents have challenges in reading. A few years ago, I had a young mother come into my first grade classroom to volunteer. While I was reading a book to the class, she was preparing a related art activity for the children to do after I was finished reading the story. About midway through the story, one of the children became very ill. I quickly asked the young mother to finish reading the story while I took care of the ill child. I handed her the book and then took the child to the classroom bathroom. When I came out of the classroom bathroom to page the nurse, I noticed that the young mother was telling the story based on the pictures and not the text. I didn't draw attention to the matter but let her continue until she had finished "picture reading" to the children. After school that day, I called her on the phone. I thanked her for helping out during the unexpected illness of a student and she apologized for merely telling the story by the pictures. I told her she did a great job with being caught off guard so quickly! She then told me that she'd like to take the opportunity to ask for my help. She told me she "read" the book that day only from pictures because she could not read. She cried and cried and cried. In a few days, our school connected her with LVG. What a difference this made in this young mother's life. Thanks, thanks, thanks.