Working to Solve Hawai‘i’s Greatest Challenges Together
New Chapters How Hawai‘i Literacy is improving lives, one word at a time. Before enrolling in a tutoring program with Hawai‘i Literacy this past February 2021, Leedale Baptist says he didn’t know how to spell basic words. With a job that involves driving on Hawai‘i Island for 15 years, he used to ask colleagues to help him read maps. At the dentist or doctor, he’d ask the receptionist for help filling out paperwork. He was making it through life but, he says, not knowing how to read or write was “embarrassing.” Now he meets with a tutor twice a week. The goal of Hawai‘i Literacy is to instill a lifelong love of reading and writing in people. The nonprofit offers access to free books on its bright blue Bookmobiles— think of an ice cream truck that cruises through neighborhoods, but is filled with books. With its tutoring programs on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, individuals work towards their specific goals, such as passing a driver’s license test. For some, like Baptist, it’s to improve their reading level—and ultimately improve their lives. One in six Hawai‘i adults has difficulty reading, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The reasons are wide-ranging—some factors include
other things because they’ve had to make up for it. But they still face challenges in life that would be easier if they could read.” For example, she says, many adults in their program have two or three jobs, since if you can’t read well, you’re limited in what jobs you can do. Inside the home, illiteracy can be cyclical. Research indicates that children whose parents have a low literacy level have a higher chance at also being at the lowest reading levels. Leedale Baptist is one of Hawai‘i Literacy’s Hawai‘i Island students learning to read and write English.
Hawai‘i’s high rates of houselessness, poverty, and non-English speaking households. They miss out on employment opportunities; face legal issues such as not understanding a traffic violation and having to pay a penalty fee; and during the pandemic, not being properly informed. Low literacy levels are also associated with poorer health.
With two Bookmobiles already on O‘ahu, 2020 was supposed to be the year Hawai‘i Island’s inaugural Bookmobile—which was already outfitted and ready to go—roved around south Kona and Ka‘ū, where there’s limited access to libraries. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans. The Bookmobile has been parked in Oceanview. Staying flexible, the organization shifted to online tutoring lessons and book drop-offs at food distribution events so families could get a book along with a hot meal.
“There’s so much shame and stigma if you can’t read,” says Lisa Jacob, the Kona This summer, the Hawai‘i Island branch Literacy Center coordinator for Hawai‘i hopes to resume plans to expand to Hilo Literacy. “The people I’ve met who can’t and the rest of the island. read hide it well and are incredibly good at
“Learning to read and write opened up a new world for me,” says Baptist. “I look at life differently now.” He now catches himself trying to read everything, although his favorite part about his new skill is reading children’s books to his granddaughter. Hawai‘i Literacy’s new Bookmobile was made possible through a generous grant from Jack’s Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. To learn more about Hawai‘i Literacy, visit: www.hawaiiliteracy.org.
Readers on O‘ahu enjoy the books offered in Hawai‘i Literacy’s Bookmobiles.
To donate to support the Hawai‘i Island community, please visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/hawaii-island-strong.