Literacy Volunteers of Rochester Celebrates National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

Literacy Volunteers of Rochester encourages people throughout the Rochester area to observe National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, September 23rd through September 29th.

Despite the significant role of literacy in today’s world, often little attention is paid to it.

As many as 36 million American adults struggle to read, write, perform daily math and use technology above a third-grade level. This severely limits their access to jobs, college and citizenship and increases their vulnerability to living in poverty.

National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week raises public awareness about the need and impact of adult education and family literacy to leverage resources to expand access to basic education programs for adults with low literacy skills.

New York State has a literacy problem. A total of 3.4 million New York State residents are either functionally illiterate–reading below the 5th-grade level—lack a High School Diploma or cannot speak English… BUT fewer than 10% are receiving help for their literacy needs.

Low literacy affects every area of life, in New York State, and throughout the U.S.

• 43% of adults with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty
• 50% of the chronically unemployed are functionally illiterate
• 76% of adults on public assistance are illiterate or unable to read more than simple text
•  Welfare recipients with the lowest literacy skills stay on welfare the longest
• 75% of prisoners fall into the lowest two levels of literacy
• 85% of juvenile offenders have reading problems

During AEFL Week, Literacy Volunteers of Rochester (LVR) urges people to get involved with their local adult literacy organization. To learn more about volunteering with LVR, you can get more information on our website, https://literacyrochester.org/get-started/
If you need help with your literacy, please call us at 585-473-3030.

About Literacy Volunteers of Rochester Literacy Volunteers of Rochester, Inc. improves the reading, English language, math and digital literacy skills of adults in Monroe County. Our trained volunteers support participants in achieving their personal goals to fully engage in their community as citizens, parents, consumers and workers.

LVR has provided adult literacy services to the Rochester community since 1964. During the past program year our volunteers provided 16,867 hours to support adults in overcoming literacy challenges with reading, math, English language and digital literacy skills.