Emiley Robinson
She always wore a hoodie. When she spoke, you could barely hear her.
Emiley Robinson
Emiley survived childhood trauma and neglect, leaving her with cripplingly low self-esteem. Her reading comprehension and writing skills were poor and her rural world was small and isolating.
One day, she gathered her courage and asked for a tutor.
After three years of hard work, Emiley has not just improved her literacy, she has found her voice. She asks questions before signing forms. She took a deep breath and spoke to a large group at an LVB gathering. And she volunteers to help children find their own voices through writing.
To hear more from Emiley and her tutor, Lynn, click HERE.
Tamara Babak
Tamara flew out of Kharkov, Ukraine, on one of the last planes leaving before Russian bombing began.
Tamara Babak
A new life awaited her when she joined her adult daughter in Maine. Despite Tamara’s eagerness to start anew, her minimal English limited her. LVB tutor Lynnette helped Tamara move forward. With an expanded vocabulary, Tamara’s world expanded. She got a driver’s license, is making friends, and now shops on her own.
Lynnette gave Tamara a beautiful notebook that she could use to capture her experiences. In it, she wrote this about a trip to Acadia National Park:
“There are days in life that are impossible to forget. They don’t happen often, but they make our lives so beautiful. The music of the waves continued to play in my head for a long time, even after I went to bed and closed my eyes. I saw the waves and heard their sound. I am grateful to God that he gave me the opportunity to see this beauty.”
Tamara’s new literacy skills have released her creative expression in her new country.
Juan Carlos Valle
Juan Carlos came to the US with huge dreams that he could not achieve without language skills. He remembers wanting to express himself but remaining silent.
Juan Carlos Valle
“Literacy Volunteers didn’t just teach me English. They taught me to believe in myself!” shares Juan Carlos.
Juan Carlos has the work ethic and the drive to improve and LVB gave him the skills to move forward. He says it’s not just about grammar and words, but about the ability to look people in the eyes and speak his mind.
Juan Carlos now owns a barber shop business in Bangor and is thriving. “I speak from my heart when I say that learning English changed my life!”
Olga Grigorenko
A native of Ukraine, things didn’t look promising for Olga Grigorenko in 2020.
Olga Grigorenko
Olga settled in Maine, arriving with no English, no job, no car, and few resources. But she knew her future was limited to low-paying jobs without better language skills.
A friend recommended Literacy Volunteers, where Olga found Ellen, the perfect tutor– retired foreign service officer who served in Slavic countries. Olga has flourished with Ellen’s help.
She got her driver’s license and was promoted to a management position at a healthcare facility. Her daughter is thriving in school. And while volunteering at her church, she met her husband, Chris. Her next goal is to become a U.S. citizen.
To hear more from Olga, click HERE.
Wayne McPhee
“My boss wanted me to read the work orders better.”
Wayne McPhee
Despite Wayne’s superior skills operating heavy, complicated machinery, he knew improved literacy would get him better job opportunities. He’s made a point of being honest with employers about his weak reading skills by finding workarounds like memorizing the labels on boxes of parts and equipment.
Wayne’s weekly sessions with LVB tutor John Ward have been key to his literacy success. “I tried once before,” Wayne says. “I never had anyone sit one on one with me. But John explains it and I learn. One on one works for me.” As a result, Wayne’s boss at UMaine has seen fewer mistakes in Wayne’s work orders.
To hear more from Wayne and his tutor John, click HERE.
Hoang Lam
When Henry (Hoang) Lam first came to Literacy Volunteers, he brought his uncle to translate. Henry barely spoke a word of English.
Hoang Lam
What he did have was determination. After a year with a tutor, he came back to the office alone to report on his progress. He did so in English, with little trouble. Continuing to work with his tutor, Henry piled up successes: an associate’s degree, citizenship, a bachelor’s degree, a job in his field, marriage and children, purchase of a home, and work promotions. Incidentally, Henry’s wife Hue has her own successes, including a nursing career which she loves.
It wasn’t easy, but Henry says, “This country provides a lot of opportunity as long as you’re willing to work hard.” Literacy Volunteers is proud to be part of this success story.
Cindy Duell
As a slower learner, school was a struggle for Cindy Duell. By age eight, she had been labeled a “retard.”
Cindy Duell
At 20 she married Lee, who encouraged her to get her high school diploma. She did, as well as a CNA certificate. But she still didn’t read well, and many work tasks were very difficult for her. Eventually Lee convinced her to get a Literacy Volunteers tutor, and a whole new world opened.
Better literacy led to a new job as a technician in a cardiac care unit. Today she’s reading everything in sight, from medical information to equipment assembly instructions. She reads multiple books at once, including one she carries in her purse, “in case I have to wait somewhere.”
Ketson Dubuisson
In 2010, a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, killing thousands and nearly destroying what was already a desperately poor country.
Ketson Dubuisson
Ketson made the heart-wrenching decision to leave his country and culture. In the U.S., he married and eventually came to Bangor. He took a job translating medical information for agricultural workers. That position inspired a new goal, a nursing degree. He works diligently with a tutor to perfect his English and make progress towards his nursing degree.
Nicole Hustus
Nicole dropped out of high school at 16 with a baby and a growing fear of failure.
Nicole Hustus
In contact with LVB and encouraged to get a tutor, she thought, “I can’t do that,” and resisted help. But staff saw her potential and kept in touch until Nicole’s fears gave way to a firm basis of trust.
Her confidence began to emerge when she earned her diploma with the help of a tutor. Over the course of several years with us, Nicole has persisted. She got her first job, established her own bank account, and got her driver’s license. She’s a devoted wife and mother of three and an active volunteer in her faith community.
She keeps that graduation tassel hanging where she can see it every day and say to herself, “Look! I did that!”
Ferdous Fendereski
“My son was very small when Irene started to be my tutor. She came to our place and then we had the class.”
Ferdous Fendereski
Ferdous, from Iran says, “We read a book and my point was just to have daily conversation. My English was so bad. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write. Nothing. So, I started and I asked Irene a lot — can you just, you know, explain for me? What does it mean?”
They continued their four-year friendship even after Ferdous’ husband took a job in Virginia and the family moved. They texted and then began using Zoom to continue polishing Ferdous’ English conversation skills.
Ferdous summed up our mission beautifully: “Thank you to Literacy Volunteers. It’s not just tutoring—we have family here.”
Robin Meservey
When Robin Meservey was a sophomore in high school, she was in a car accident that resulted in losing her language, reading, and math skills. She began working with Literacy Volunteers of Bangor to get those skills back.
Robin Meservey
Robin works closely with Lee F. White, a tutor and retired gerontological social worker. The two have developed a friendship and experienced the joy of learning together.
“For me, it’s been amazing. Lee’s been an amazing support for me,” Robin said. “I don’t think it’s really learning as much as having fun and taking away a lot from everything that we’re doing. I think it’s more friendly than teacher/student. I think it’s more supportive.”