Volunteers offer help to reading agency

On Tuesday, March 2, Penobscot Job Corps student Matt McLean, along with his Home Builder Institute instructor Mark Martin, delivered children’s furniture that he and other students hand-crafted to Literacy Volunteers of Bangor’s Family Learning Center.

When McLean learned about the project, he immediately volunteered for the assignment and explained to his instructor, “If it hadn’t been for Literacy Volunteers, I wouldn’t be able to read. [Building furniture] is the least that I can do.”

Through the dedication of trained tutors, Literacy Volunteers of Bangor has helped adults learn to read and write for more than 30 years. Seven years ago, LV-Bangor partnered with Park Woods Transitional Housing and opened a Family Learning Center to extend literacy services to the children who live there. Last year, LV-Bangor received a grant from the Barbara Bush Foundation to expand their services to children ages 3-5 years and offer programming for their parents.

“The city of Bangor has provided us with an additional unit at Park Woods to expand our programming,” said Mary Lyon, executive director for LV-Bangor. “This allowed us to expand our children’s area, which is where Job Corps has been invaluable in building us bookshelves, a window seat and cubbies that we would not be able to otherwise afford.”

Those interested in receiving literacy services or in volunteering as a tutor may contact Literacy Volunteers-Bangor at 947-8451.