Archway Community Services in Abbotsford is one of more than 100 groups receiving funding to expand their free adult literacy programming.
The Community Adult Literacy Program funding will go toward their Access2English program. Similar programs are run in communities around the province and are funding by the government. These community-based, adult, family, and Indigenous literacy programs help people gain skills in basic literacy, numeracy, life skills, and employment preparation. The programs are delivered by trained volunteers and include one-on-one-tutoring and small-group classes.
More than 16,000 people will be supported across the province. The government said in a press release that 45 per cent of British Columbians aged 16 to 65 may have difficulty understanding newspapers, following instruction manuals, reading health information and other daily living tasks. And 52 per cent may have difficulty calculating interest on a car loan, using information on a graph, calculating medicine dosage and other daily living tasks.
Pam Alexis, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, says people looking to improve their skills will benefit from increased access to free adult literacy programs across B.C. following the additional funding.
“Literacy contributes to our quality of life, and all British Columbians deserve to have the skills required for everyday tasks,” Alexis said. “Archway Community Services is a great resource here in Abbotsford, and I’m glad that we can help with the great work they do through programs like adult literacy.”
To learn more about Access2English and other Archway programs, visit archway.ca.
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