| AmeriCorps Volunteers Help with Local Literacy Program |
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| Dao Duong knows what it is like to not be able to read the language around you. Since she came to the U.S. as a refugee fleeing from violence in Vietnam, she has worked hard to improve her reading and writing skills in English. Now she is one of the three AmeriCorps volunteers who this year will provide 3500 hours of service to the cause of adult literacy. |
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| AmeriCorps, sometimes called the domestic Peace Corps, provides opportunities for men and women to serve as a national community service volunteer. The Santa Clara City Library was one of only 18 California public libraries selected to participate in the California Library Literacy Services AmeriCorps Initiative, made possible by a grant from the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism (GO SERV). |
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| Michael Miller, a software engineer, was searching for a volunteer opportunity that would allow him to use his technology skills to make a lasting difference in the community. He now is a full time AmeriCorps volunteer, helping adults with low literacy skills use computers to learn to navigate the Internet, send emails and use literacy software to improve their reading and writing skills. Jeff Moore, a retired businessman, is the third AmeriCorps volunteer who has worked as a literacy tutor for the past 15 months. “I am a strong believer in what Read Santa Clara has to offer, and I look forward to spreading our story throughout our community,” he said. |
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| More volunteers are needed to help English-speaking adults in the Santa Clara community to improve their reading, writing, and math skills. The goals of the learners are as diverse as being able to read a bedtime story to a child, or passing a driver’s license test, GED, or citizenship examination. |
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| For more information on either volunteer or learning opportunities with Read Santa Clara, call (408) 615-2956. |
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