Retire-to Volunteering

051 Julie Kramer–Adult Literacy Council Volunteers Teach More Than 1,700 Adults to Read and Succeed Yearly Julie Kramer is high on the Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC) for its two main goals: Teaching American adults to read and teaching English skills to adult immigrants. Working with classes and through mentoring, nearly 600 volunteers teach more than 1,700 adults each year to read and succeed.   Isolated by the need for a new language, immigrants can turn to NALC for assistance. Becoming more proficient enables newcomers to gain access to the larger community by being able to talk to and understand grocers, doctors, potential employers, and so forth. Learning English allows parents to help their children with school. And the NALC’s citizenship classes facilitate the family’s move toward citizenship.   Not being able to read also isolates thousands of adult Americans. Nearly one in eight Nashville adults can’t read at a functional level. Inability to read labels, complete an application form, compreh