The International Paper Foundation recently awarded Literacy Volunteers of Camden County and Literacy Now a grant to purchase educational materials for its adult literacy program. This grant is just one example of International Paper’s commitment to giving back to the communities where its employees live and work.
Literacy Volunteers of Camden County (LVCC), with a main office in Voorhees Branch Library,and its fundraising wing, Literacy Now, provide free one-on-one tutoring in reading, math and English as a second language to Camden County adults at the lowest levels of literacy. Many local residents lack functional English literacy skills and this impedes their ability to get a job, assist their children in school and become active community members. LVCC addresses this problem by training local volunteers to instruct these adults using a flexible, learner-centered approach. LVCC currently has over 150 volunteer tutors working with 235 learners.
“This grant will enable us to purchase new teaching materials and software to benefit local adults working to improve their literacy skills,” said Denise Weinberg, director of LVCC. “Sometimes the book we give our student is the first one he or she has ever owned.”
“We are thankful that Paul Euchler, an employee at International Paper’s Barrington Container Plant and one of our dedicated math tutors, mentioned that literacy is a major focus area for the IP Foundation. Since we run a program that teaches reading and English as a Second Language to adults and have active International Paper volunteers, our organization was a great fit for this generous grant,” Weinberg added.
For more information, call Literacy Volunteers of Camden County at (856) 772–1636 ext. 7331 or visit their site http://lva.camdencountylibrary.org.
