Hermitage, Mo., a small, poor rural community, offered few job opportunities other than farming or the limited tourist trade. It’s so off the beaten track that Wal-Mart is an hour away. Even though I had lived in the area for eight years, I was still an outsider and had a lot to learn.

I never thought literacy was a local issue because I considered myself well educated and illiteracy was not a problem for me. But when I started working with grown men who could not read a menu or young mothers who graduated from school but couldn’t read to their babies, I knew differently. Compounding the problem was a local “change is bad” mindset and parents holding the attitude, “I don’t read so why do my kids need to read?” The area was decaying. Many of the kids left Hermitage as soon as they graduated high school. Sooner or later, if no improvement was made, all that would be left in Hermitage would be the elderly and dead beats.

I began my VISTA experience at the Hickory County Library in 2002 where I had already been volunteering for about a year as a tutor and reader at story time. When I applied to join VISTA, little did I know I was about to embark on a life changing voyage! There were many challenges I had as family literacy program coordinator, and I took them on, one at a time.

Hermitage needed literacy programs. I believe that literacy is the most important factor in controlling one’s life. So I established after school programs to get children and their parents involved with reading. These programs blossomed into many wonderful activities: storytellers, historic reenactments, puppet shows, and magicians came in conjunction with the programs at our schools.

To encourage literacy at an early age, we sponsored local versions of national literacy contests, like Reading Rainbow, and Letters about Literature. The first year there were 20 entries in the children’s writing contest. The next year, there were more than 80. We organized pizza parties for the entrants and their families and gave prizes. The message was getting out there. Folks were getting involved!

Fundraising events became more and more successful. People donated books, which were given away at every opportunity at local fairs and festivals. Each year more than 300 books were given away to young readers. We also registered people for library cards and promoted other library activities. Circulation improved at the library. Eventually, we even moved into a new library thanks in part to the increased awareness made possible through my VISTA efforts.

My VISTA service led me to increased involvement. Jumping in with both feet, I served on the board of the Hickory County Community Foundation, and the Polk County Community Connections. I also joined the board for our Head Start Policy Council. Through my involvement with the Missouri Humanities Council, a cultural organization that promotes community, citizenship, and lifelong learning, I organized a public forum for people to gain a better understanding of world current events. The forum was a highlight of my VISTA service. One of the speakers was originally from Iraq and a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Southwest Missouri State University. He discussed the Iraqi culture and how the events of 9/11 had affected him. The event attracted 150 people, and I think they received a new view of a tense situation.

But my primary focus was literacy. I did anything necessary to encourage reading, everything from wearing a dress and wig for “Grandma’s Story Time” to shaving my head as part of a reading challenge (If the local kids read 2,000 books during the summer I would shave my head). Not exactly what I had envisioned as a VISTA member, but it got the community involved.

The Family Literacy Program at Hickory County Library has been very successful. Students who once had a hard time in school significantly improved their grades. One student even won a writing contest. We recruited and trained community volunteers to tutor and read to both children and adults. We worked with State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo., to bring a general equivalency diploma (GED) trainer to the library to train tutors for GED classes. We also accessed the training and support services of Literacy Investment for Tomorrow-Missouri, a not-for-profit corporation to improve literacy services throughout Missouri.

When my service with VISTA ended in August 2003, I was determined not to let the momentum die. The outcome is the Tri-County Literacy Council. Next we are embarking on a grant writing venture to fund technology centers in the area. We hope to continue to provide up-to-date literacy tutoring for adults, families, and those learning English as a second language.

Although my VISTA service is over, I keep involved with the literacy initiatives. I now work with Literacy Consultants of Missouri for training, and the Tri- County Literacy Council is in the process of becoming accredited through Pro-Literacy Worldwide. Overall, I believe my service through VISTA has made a huge impact on the community—not only in raising a few reading levels, but also in raising awareness about the importance of literacy.

At this moment we are working with a local bank to obtain office space for our programs. The Literacy Council also is in the forefront of forming a literacy coalition that will serve all of southwestern Missouri.

Perhaps the biggest event for me happened in June 2004. With the AmeriCorps Education Award I earned from VISTA, I obtained an associate degree in business administration through an online college. I graduated with honors, and I am now thinking seriously about going for my bachelor’s degree.

My life has been greatly affected by my service to VISTA, and in turn, the community at large has been impacted by programs set into place. I see a bright future as we continue to strive for excellence in literacy in Hickory County. VISTA has truly been an experience. I only wish I had known about the opportunity before I was 50 years old. I strongly recommend VISTA service to people in the area who have no direction in their lives. Much like my military training, it has been life changing. And the changes continue!

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