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Oakland Literacy Council

Everyone Has a Fundamental Right to Literacy


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Volunteer Works Behind the Scenes

Pat works behind the scenes to raise money for Oakland Literacy Council’s tutoring program.

Pat Peck believes she taught her father to read. Being from a very large family from the “hills of Kentucky,” her father only attended school to the second grade then had to help out at home. Years later, when doing genealogy research, Pat found where he had filed for a marriage license and signed with a “x.” She remembered sitting on his lap as a young girl and being told to read the newspaper to him while running her finger under the words as she read. (She never remembers him reading the newspaper before then). Later, her father seemed to be able to slowly read the newspaper on his own.

“I realized, though, that just because Dad couldn’t read didn’t mean he wasn’t smart,” she recalls. “He had amazing ways to figure things out.”

She thought about her father’s experience when she first learned about Oakland Literacy Council twenty-some years ago. The Council needed tutors, and Pat readily volunteered. Her first student was an adult who struggled with a learning disability. Two years later, with Pat’s help, he could read street signs and the comics. “His world got a lot bigger,” she says. Later, she tutored a couple from Vietnam, who would go on to become U.S. citizens and send their daughter to medical school.

When she and her husband began spending part of the year in Florida, she looked for other ways to volunteer for the Council besides tutoring. She began helping out in the office, and then came the request, about 10 years ago, to help with “a little book sale.” That sale turned out to be Bookstock, metro Detroit’s largest used book and media sale, a weeklong extravaganza that occurs each spring in support of local educational charities.

In exchange for a portion of Bookstock’s proceeds, Oakland Literacy Council provides volunteers from Friday evening through Saturday evening of the sale. Soon Pat was coordinating volunteers during the Council’s stint for those first years. Pat jokingly recalls, “I think I put about 20,000 steps on my pedometer that Friday night and just that many the following day.”

Pat still volunteers at the sale, and she is a regular volunteer at Bookstock’s collection depot in West Bloomfield, too. She helps sort donated books and materials in the months leading up to the sale. For the 2020 sale, Pat will serve as a co-director of Bookstock’s Treasury Team. Every hour she works with Bookstock is an hour of benefit for Oakland Literacy, as she continues to donate all of her hours to the Council. Bookstock counts volunteer hours towards the funds it disburses.

Pat remains as committed to the Council’s mission today as she was 20 years ago. “I feel like the work the council does─the one-on-one tutoring─is not available anywhere else,” she says. “It changes lives every day.”

Meet other 35 Faces of Literacy here

Check out these articles about Oakland Literacy Council!

The Joy of Being a Literacy Tutor
Read between the ‘lions’
Give a little, give a lot
Seeking volunteer tutors

The Oakland Literacy Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity that relies on the financial support of individuals, businesses, community organizations, and foundations to fulfill its mission. Your tax-deductible financial gift can be made online, by mail or by Donor-Advised Fund. The Oakland Literacy Council also welcomes gifts of Stock and Legacy Gifts.

In celebration of Oakland Literacy Council’s 35th anniversary, we’ve invited students, former students, tutors, donors, and other advocates to share their stories. Read all of their stories here.

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Oakland Literacy Council
Oakland Literacy Council
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Lesley TauroLesley Tauro
12:43 05 Sep 24
I love being a English Tutor with Oakland Literacy Council on a one-on-one basis as well as for a conversation group. Through OLC, I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, many who have become friends.
Cynthia WersteinCynthia Werstein
23:48 04 Sep 24
I have enjoyed my ESL tutoring with Oakland Literacy Council. We received training to help us, help our students. I feel like I can reach out for additional help if needed. Not to forget, they offer outside activities, on occasion, so that the students and tutors can do some typical, but fun activities! OLC is a great organization to volunteer with.
Lisa BurnsLisa Burns
21:33 04 Sep 24
I've been volunteering with the OLC for about a year and a half, and it's been a great experience! I very much enjoy the tutoring sessions with the student whom they paired me with. She is a lovely person and I've learned a lot from her too. OLC makes tutoring easy for volunteers, with an easy-to-use curriculum, training, support, and social events. Highly recommend!
Qambar Ali SarwariQambar Ali Sarwari
19:50 04 Sep 24
Great team, motivational atmosphere, Thank you for your always support and help, especially the refresher training you provide to the tutors.Warm regards ,Ali
Brad RothBrad Roth
19:07 04 Sep 24
When I retired in 2020 (in the middle of the covid pandemic) I wanted to find ways to volunteer. As a former college professor, I am particularly concerned about education and literacy. Working with Oakland Literacy Council has been a wonderful experience for me. The staff at OLC (particularly Laurie Weeks) is so helpful and appreciative. I've gotten more hand-written thank you notes from Laurie in the last four years than from everyone else throughout the rest of my life combined. Volunteering for OLC lets me give back to society but enjoy retirement too. I highly recommend it.
Kelly TurnerKelly Turner
11:12 23 Aug 24
I would like to say How amazing Oakland literacy Council is I came in May To Continue my education and I thank god I found them they where at the bottom of the list when they should have been at the top of the list first off the staff is amazing they did everything by the book I did placement testing to figure out where to place me they took the time out to get the best tutors they also called and checked in on me and also motivated me to keep going and never give up they gave me the option to go online for tutoring or in person Stewart my tutor was amazing he took pride in educating me and never made me feel like I was bothering him patricia was amazing she stayed on me and stayed consistent they made me feel like familythe icing on the cake was how they acknowledged me on graduation day the whole team was there for me and my family and I was so happy and me and my kid's could feel the love it's nothing that I would not do for Oakland literacy I will be there spokesperson for life cause it's worth it and they have top notch tutors employees and the online tutor services is Phenomenal if you're seeking to continue your education look no more this is the place to go
Sanghee HanSanghee Han
11:59 22 Aug 24
I was so lucky to meet oakland literacy Council. Since OLC has been a great institute for me almost 2 years. And they helped my english improve and give me some good talking classes for learning new culture here as well. Now that I graduated from a reading program at OLC, I feel like I'm still with them. Really appreciate it.
BAIYANG LAIBAIYANG LAI
19:36 15 Aug 24
In the past three years I learned English with Oakland Literacy. I met quite a few tutors in one by one tutoring and some conversation groups. Those tutors were so incredible and awesome! They really really helped me a lot in my English. My gratitude to all of them is beyond words!
jung min sonjung min son
17:36 15 Aug 24
Thank you for having me with your excellent support.. I really enjoyed learning English and having conversation class with others. I made some good friends and I think Oakland Literacy Council is very good for people who need English support 👏 👍
Joseph Lee (Jo)Joseph Lee (Jo)
16:39 15 Aug 24
Oakland Literacy Council was a very good program for me as my second language. I evaluated my English ability through English listening and reading tests and matched my tutor accordingly. As a result, my English improved a lot. And most of all, it was free.
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OAKLAND LITERACY COUNCIL 51111 Woodward Ave., Suite 720, Pontiac, MI 48342

(248) 253-1617, info@oaklandliteracy.com

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