With 20 per cent of Canada’s population unable to read above a Grade 7 level, literacy programs are a vital part of helping millions get by — and the Advance is joining other Black Press newspapers today to help raise funds for the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL).
More than a dozen volunteers will be in on the action in Creston, offering free copies of the Advance in exchange for a donation to CBAL as part of the Black Press Reach a Reader campaign.
Today’s event will likely begin around noon, with collectors canvassing Creston carrying official CBAL donation boxes and copies of the Advance.
“Literacy is vital to the well-being of the entire community, and we’re proud to join the alliance for literacy in this campaign,” said Advance editor Brian Lawrence. “And it’s exciting to be a part of something bigger — all of Black Press’s papers in the east and west Kootenays are taking part.”
CBAL has been around since 2002, and is in 17 east and west Kootenay communities, with co-ordinators working from September to June. The alliance is currently in the third year of a three-year funding guarantee from the Columbia Basin Trust, and also receives funds from the provincial and federal governments, Decoda Literacy Solutions and the College of the Rockies, which gives Creston a $69,000 operating budget.
While literacy issues affect all ages, Steward is most drawn to adult literacy, which suits Creston’s needs. Children from birth to six are well served by other programs, and funding isn’t readily available for school-age children’s programs.
The CBT funding allows Steward to hire tutors — eight in the past year — to run adult programs, which include both improving reading skills and learning English as a second language. Twenty-two people are currently enrolled in the ESL program, which helps them with more than just the language.
“They find they don’t have the skills to get a promotion at work, or to keep up with technology because they can’t read the manuals,” said Linda Steward, Creston’s Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) co-ordinator. “They’re not only learning, but they’re finding support and friendship. Creston is very welcoming to newcomers.”
As this is the first time the campaign has been run, the organizers won’t be measuring its success in terms of money collected, although every little bit will be an asset to CBAL — the $69,000 budget may sound like a lot, but it only goes so far.
“The key is that the volunteers have fun,” said Lawrence. “And they’re helping out a worthy cause, so what could be better than that?”