Chairperson for church's Mission Outreach Team discusses the plight of small community literacy programs

Adult illiteracy is an issue which has seen certain improvements in the last few decades. However, about 50 percent of the nations youth -- age 16 to 21 -- are considered to be functionally illiterate, or unfit to be able to read basic instructions, food labels, or fill out a job applications. Similarly, in smaller communities -- especially those with a higher percentage of minorities -- the decrease in illiteracy has not been quelled enough in spite of the recent advances in literacy training . In certain smaller communities, where the poor economy and devastatingly large unemployment rates have taken their tolls, many organizations work to eradicate the nuisance of illiteracy, and many churches also join in on the fight. Millian Memorial United Methodist Church, in Rockville, Maryland, is one of these churches.

Who do literacy programs reach in the community?

Marguerite Eimer, Chairperson for the Mission Outreach Team at Millian Memorial United Methodist Church, heads the literacy programs at her church, as well as the other Outreach programs there. these programs are meant to reach into the community and provide education for those who have no other access to it.



Problems with individual community outreach programs

These programs are being used to advocate more reading and a higher level of literary comprehension in schools. Though the programs seem to be effective, Eimer feels that they could be even better given better circumstances including more funding.



Subsequently, Eimer mentioned that though they are a non-profit group, the Church has not received as much money in recent years in order to support the funding of these programs. She argues that if small, community based organizations do not get the necessary funding, adult and child literacy rates will not improve as drastically as most would hope.