READ/SAN DIEGO AND ITS PARTNERS
Literacy for the Homeless

St. Vincent de Paul Village, a facility for homeless men, women, and children, believes that literacy is a key to success in finding employment, which in turn is the main route out of homelessness. According to St. Vincent de Paul's director, when staff decided to offer literacy training to their residents, they chose READ/San Diego "because it was the best literacy organization in town."

All residents are assessed when they first arrive at the shelter; those who score below 8.9 on the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) are required to participate in the literacy program. Many score in the 0.0-3.0 grade- level range. St. Vincent de Paul typically has hundreds of learners who need tutoring and about 40 volunteers willing to be trained as literacy tutors. This is exactly the kind of partnership READ/San Diego seeks: an organization with learners and tutors, a facility in which services can be provided, and a strong commitment to make it work. In this case, READ/San Diego provides the tutor training and the curriculum materials.