It is a gift we often take for granted- the gift of reading. Can you imagine what life would be like if you didn’t have it? It is not just that the world of books would be closed to us-
what about menus, forms, medicine labels, birthday cards, or notes from a child’s teacher? It is estimated that 23% of adults in California struggle with everyday tasks that involve basic reading and writing. One of them, Greg Wagner, recalls, “At the age of 13, I had a paper route. Can you believe that? I couldn’t read but I delivered the papers to somebody, so somebody else could read it.” It is the 30th anniversary of California libraries offering literacy programs to help adults like Greg learn how to read and write better, so they can reach their goals as parents, workers, community members and lifelong learners.
Governor Brown signed a Proclamation today declaring September as Adult Literacy Awareness Month. Last week, the Santa Clara City Council did the same, recognizing the critical importance of adult literacy and the services Read Santa Clara has provided our community since 1995.
By Shanti Bhaskaran, Read Santa Clara