Going the extra mile

One bright spot in these chaotic times is the reminder of the way our community pulls together. Not just in response to an immediate crisis, but also in the quiet, steady work of volunteers throughout the year.

Carrie is a perfect example. She volunteers every week to work with Ed, an Adult Literacy student in his 60s working toward his High School Equivalency diploma. He faces multiple challenges and has no family support. Working with a local social service agency, he has been able to use his Medicaid benefit to access services vital for his physical and emotional health. Caseworkers and peer support staff help him manage his physical disability, coordinate his schedule, and provide his transportation.

Recently, due to a paperwork error, Ed’s Medicaid was terminated, and his support network fell apart. With his limited literacy skills, Ed knew he could not tackle the bureaucracy on his own. In a panic, he shared the situation with Carrie, and together they took on the challenge.  They spent hours and hours sorting through several years of his records and making multiple phone calls. Their persistence paid off. They found the source of the error and were able to get his Medicaid and all of his support services reinstated.

If not for Carrie’s concern and initiative, Ed would quite likely have given up — and resigned himself to a life of isolation.

Currently, in-person tutoring sessions have been temporarily suspended, but many of our volunteers are in touch with their students through phone, Skype and WhatsApp, both to continue their work together and to help them access support they may need for themselves or their families.

Your contribution helps make it happen. Please consider a generous Gift of Literacy to support students like Ed and the tutors who go the extra mile every day to make a difference.