Author: Literacy Volunteers-HBPL

Despite a challenging year, our learners have continued to make great strides towards their language goals. With the help of the tutors, our learners have improved with reading comprehension, pronunciation, and writing skills.

Learning and improving language skills is a journey. It is important to recognize and celebrate the small successes along the way.

Some recent successes reported to us include:

• Eunjin worked with her tutor to write the perfect resume. That resulted in an interview and a job offer. Congratulations Eunjin!
• Ernesto is reading more fluently, which is leading to him being more confident.
• Patricia wrote an online memoir to honor a friend
• Hyekyung recently spoke English at her son’s school for the first time.

We are so proud of all of our learners who have risen to the challenge of distance learning, working with their tutors online, via the telephone and sometimes even by text! 

We are looking forward to welcoming our tutors and learners back to the library, and also sharing more success stories as our learners continue on their journey.

My name is Sandra. I want to share with you how happy I am, because the literacy program has changed my life. They help me a lot to study. I have the privilege of having an excellent teacher, her name is Connie. Thanks to them and God, now I am an American citizen. By the way, I passed my test with 100%. For the first time I voted in the election for a new president. I am also learning more to speak and write. I am very happy and I am grateful for the literacy program. I highly recommend it!

The small things truly count now. ~ Akemi

Last week I was angry and I went to the park and when I was in the middle of the trees looking at the blue sky I felt grateful to God, especially for my healthy family.  At the same time, I think what do we want at this difficult moment?  Everyone has a limit.  What is my limit at this time?  After this I was myself, at peace.

By Maribet

In the mornings we go to the park.  We’ve started to walk for better health.  I saw a man and he looks angry because somebody hit his blue car.  We just keep walking and we ran to the limit of the path.  It was a long, hot day but I feel grateful because my family has their health and good people exist like my teacher Jackie.

By Filemon

Time for new beginnings for everything.

Apple pie in oven. Heavenly smell.

Epilogue: Sharing the pie. Half to kids.

The classes help me a lot because now I understand more than before. Now I can speak with other people who don’t speak Spanish. My accomplished is I read to my little daughter. I hope for my future to have my GED diploma.

Rebecca

I was born in a small town in Guanaguato, Mexico. The name of this place is Cerrito de Agua Caliente. It was a very poor town, but I was very happy there. I got married when I was nineteen years old. My husband and I moved to Huntington Beach, CA which had a big impact on my life. I was so young and I missed my family. I cried and felt sad all the time. As time passed, I got pregnant three times. Every time I had a child, I suffered from depression. It was a very bad time, but thanks to this sickness I am a new person – stronger and more confident. I now have and know a lot of people who are part of this change, including my brother and sisters, God, my tutor and Amy. Now I have a job. I feel happy to help my husband. Even though I have had a difficult time, I am grateful that my kids were born in California, so they can have a better life with more careers.

Literacy is all about learner goals. One of Celia’s literacy goals is to be able to express herself in writing. She and her tutor are very pleased with her progress!