Related:

• Get involved: Literacy Volunteers of Putnam

Literacy Volunteers of Putnam has gone through the normal amount of change in the nearly three decades of its existence, but maybe none quite like 2009.

First, they had to find a new director. Then, for the first time since its inception, the volunteer organization learned it could no longer call the Putnam County Library its home because the library needed the extra room.

Working on a budget, the free office, telephone and Internet had been very important to the organization. As if a foreshadowing of things to come, their telephone quit working.

Just as things seemed bleak, however, their fortunes began to change. Shortly before learning they would have to move, Pat Burkett walked into their offices to volunteer as a tutor.

"I had worked for the State Department of Health. I had retired and wanted to be busy. When I inquired about being a tutor, they said they had no director, and asked if I would be interested," Burkett said. She took the job. She was joined by Julia Covert as her assistant.

Burkett said the group received a letter at the beginning of May advising them they would have to vacate their office at the library by June 30. With limited funds, finding an office would be difficult. Then Capital Resources, a social service agency, stepped in.

"Capital Resources just came right out of the blue," Burkett said. "They said, 'We've got a little extra space; we'll make room for you.'"

The group then learned that Capital Resources would soon be changing its own location. Once again, the Literacy Volunteers of Putnam thought they would have to look for another office. The people at Capital Resources, however, didn't abandon them.

"When we go, you come with us," they assured Burkett.

"They do a lot of good work," Burkett said of the service agency that helps people who need help paying a bill or buying food. Capital Resource workers also have been good to the people with whom they share an office.

"They are so congenial," Burkett added.

During the intervening time when its phone was not working, Literacy Volunteers could not receive calls at its listed number. The workers were afraid people who needed to talk with them did not get through.

"We're back in business," Burkett said. However, they are down to 12 volunteers and they would love to have more. They encourage anyone who has some time and enjoys helping other people to call them.

So who are the people who volunteer and what kind of qualities do they need?

Tutor Gail Thompson has volunteered with Literacy Volunteers for 26 years. After she and her husband moved to Putnam County and had gotten their farm going, Gail wanted something else to do.

"I was getting to the point where I wanted to do something to give back," she said. She saw a small article in the newspaper that changed her life. It seemed like something she could do.

"I could teach someone to read," she thought to herself.

"To me it is an extremely satisfying experience to work with someone. You realize you have made a difference in someone's life," said Thompson, whose husband, Walker, teaches math with the organization.

Thompson said a volunteer should be compassionate to other people, understanding they might not have had the same opportunities the volunteer has had for an education. They should be flexible -- it is what they want to accomplish, not what the tutor wants them to accomplish.

"Their goals may be very different," she said.

In addition, one must be patient, because the person may not catch on as quickly to reading, and the tutor might have to change techniques. Thompson said you don't have to be a teaching professional, just willing to put forth the effort and be willing to work with someone. Burkett added that they should be literate, dependable and have a sense of humor.

Both Burkett and Thompson stressed confidentiality. Most people who need the tutoring have kept their problem hidden, sometimes even from family.

According to the Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County Web site, one out of every five people are unable to read above the fifth-grade level. Twenty percent of people have the problem, and that percentage exists in all areas of the country, not just Appalachia, Thompson said. The literacy program covers reading, writing and math or the basic academic skills people need to work and conduct their lives.

Who are the people who might need Literacy Volunteers? According to Thompson, the program serves people who didn't learn to read because of learning disabilities, people who perhaps got behind early in school and found it difficult to catch up, or people who can read a little, but at a low level.

"I've worked with people who have a high school diploma but have a third- or fourth-grade reading level," she said.

Thompson said one reason people have difficulty learning to read is because of the different learning styles. Auditory learners must learn through hearing while others learn visually. If they are taught in a different style, they may find reading more difficult. Tutors try to get their students to a point where they can read the newspaper, help their children with homework and read to them.

In addition, immigrants to the United States can use the help offered through the literacy program. Literacy Volunteers has a program called English as a Second Language, or ESL, for people who are new to this country.

Burkett said some who have had little education in their own country and have had no classes in English must learn to write checks, fill out job applications, voter registration cards or any number of forms. Even immigrants who have had a good education in their own country and can read and write English might want help with conversational language. These students benefit from going to a grocery store and discussing what is on the shelves. The student can learn to converse in English and also learn about the culture.

To get started, the student applies to the program, and Burkett matches the student with a tutor. Then he or she will attend a meeting with Burkett and the tutor. They will assess the needs of the student and determine what classes will benefit him or her.

"We listen to what that person wants," she said.

To be a tutor, volunteers first must attend a training course, which consists of approximately 12 hours on a Friday and Saturday. The training is free. The course includes reading basics such as phonics-based instruction or sight reading. They also teach the two learning styles, which are auditory and visual. In addition, the instructor discusses being sensitive to a student's needs. English as a Second Language is taught in a different course.

Thompson said the tutor meets weekly for an hour with the student at a public place.

"We meet in a public place, such as a church or a firehouse that is available, "she said. The director arranges the meeting room. They do not meet in the student's home.

Thompson said they work with the student as long as the student needs help. She has found being a tutor very rewarding and said sometimes, the tutor gets more out of the experience than the student. She enjoys those moments when a student realizes he or she can read. One student, after being taught to read using phonics, was amazed.

"Wow, I get this -- this really works. I can read," she said to Thompson. Burkett encourages others to give tutoring a try.

"It takes a special kind of person to do this. It will change their whole world," Burkett said.

Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County offers free, one-on-one tutoring or small group sessions for anyone who needs help in basic reading, writing and math skills.

National Video