BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Literacy is a major concern in Kern County. Learning to read and write is one of the very first things we teach children in school, but for many people, it's a skill they acquire later in life. The Kern Literacy Council works with individuals to help them take that second chance at learning to read and write.
Kern Literacy offers tutoring and other educational resources, but there's so much more that it can be life-changing, and that's exactly what happened to one former student.
Bakersfield author Norman Brown credits the organization for turning his life around. 23ABC spoke with Brown in December about his book "Still Moving On." He says that before he came to KLC, he could only imagine what it was like to be able to read and write.
Brown's struggles started early in his school years, but he didn't reach out for help until he was 47 years old.
"I went to my sister-in-law and had her write a check for me and she snagged the carbon from the checkbook, and I thought I was going to get ripped off," said Brown. "That's when it really kicked in; 'I gotta start writing my own checks.'"
Brown says he heard about the Kern Literacy Council over the radio and decided to visit. From there, it was the start of a 4-year process of tutoring to really master the subject.
After the first two years, Brown says he saw a turning point when he had to help his friend unlock his car.
Brown describes the event: "I said, 'Get your glove box and give me the owners manual,' and I opened up that manual, looked it up, look up the index - I said, 'Open up your trunk," and I said, "Right there is your code. Put that [owners manual] back in your glove box.'"
Brown dedicates his success to the KLC, and says the organization means everything to him. KLC Executive Director Ian Anderson says Brown's experiences are the kind of results the council strives for.
"Ultimately, our goal is not to just help people learn English, but also help them be functional and be able to excel, to build their own path, when we think about completing high school and then moving on," said Anderson.
The Kern Literacy Council has an array of services to offer. Aside from teaching literacy skills, they also teach basic adult education, as well as helping with GED preparation and citizenship testing. They also have a community publishing program and a family literacy program.
The organization currently only has Anderson as its sole employee. Everyone else at the KLC is a community volunteer.
"Being here on the front lines I can see the difference that it makes, but what we do is we really provide a lot of time and dedicated staffing and tutoring to provide people to change their lives," said Anderson.
Brown says these are the kinds of efforts that have truly made a difference in his life.
"Soon as you learn how to read and write, you can do anything you want to do. You can go to any place on the planet by reading a book," said Brown.
Norman Brown's "Still Moving On" is available for purchase at both the Kern Literacy Center or online through Amazon.
The Kern Literacy Council offers both in-person and through Zoom sessions. To find a KLC tutor, or to offer your time as a volunteer, you can visit their website or call their main office at 661-324-3213 for more information.
