My Nonprofit Reviews

PAL has been serving the adult literacy needs of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and surrounding communities for over 20 years. As a long term volunteer I continue to be impressed by the goals our adult learners have achieved and by the dedication of our volunteers, tutors, board members, and committee participants. The staff is wise, dedicated, and enthusiastic about our mission. Several of my friends now serve as volunteer tutors and they tell me how much they value from their experience and how much they have learned from their adult learners. As our learners reach their goals, they also increase their confidence in their language skills, allowing them to participate more fully in our community.

Newport Mesa Proliteracy touches people's lives in the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa communities every day, offering adult literacy services and on-line GED tutoring. In the 15 years I have been involved as a volunteer with the program, I have seen our learners proud smiles as they reach personal milestones -- GED or higher degrees, new jobs, drivers' licenses, or earning US citizenship. My personal skills and appreciation of the diversity of our community have also grown with my involvement.

For over Knots of Love has been providing free handknit beanies, NICU blankets, PICC covers, and lap blankets for hospital and cancer center patients. For patients and families dealing with serious illnesses, these handmade gifts offer comfort and hope. As I knitter, I enjoy the creativity of making these caps and knowing that my creativity and work will benefit someone.

Newport Mesa Proliteracy provides an invaluable community service, a service that has grown in size and impact since I first joined the program as a volunteer 15 years ago. We provide free literacy training to members of the community by assigning each adult learner a trained tutor to help that learner achieve his or her goals in reading, writing, and speaking English. At any one time, we have over 100 active tutor/learner pairs meeting weekly. Each year, learners go on to earn their GEDs, obtain drivers' licenses, get better jobs, and/or achieve US citizenship. The personal attention our training provides not only helps our learners achieve their goal;, it also helps increase their self-esteem, which in turn helps them to become better members of our community.

Newport Mesa Proliteracy has been changing lives for over 20 years by offering English literacy tutoring for adults. Being able to communicate and understand oral and written English not only integrates learners in our community; our learners' self-confidence also improves as their language skills do. Both tutors and learners find their experiences in the program fulfilling as they learn from each other.

Few programs make as much difference in people's lives as this one does by providing literacy skills and self confidence for its adult learners. Tutor say they learn as much as their clients and the experience in the program enriches the lives of both.