My Nonprofit Reviews

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.

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