Literacy Tutoring Transforms Volunteers and Students Alike

Anne Dachowski thought she was signing up to help others learn English, but after 18 years as a literacy tutor, she's discovered something unexpected: she needed it just as much as her students did.

Dachowski volunteers with Literacy Together, a nonprofit in Asheville, North Carolina that provides free one-on-one tutoring for adults and teens struggling with English and reading. The program matches volunteers with students for a few hours each week, providing all the training and materials needed.

For retired and disabled volunteers like Dachowski, the work fills a gap that's often invisible. "Being a Literacy Together tutor has given me direction and purpose, and brings me great joy," she shared in a recent letter to her community.

The connections run deeper than grammar lessons and vocabulary drills. Dachowski has met people from different countries and cultures, learning about their lives while helping them navigate a new language. She says she learns as much as she teaches.

But the most powerful moments come when progress breaks through. One of Dachowski's students, a mother of three from Moldova, started tutoring while working at Chick-fil-A. As her English improved, new doors opened.

The student trained as a phlebotomist and launched a healthcare career. Now she's planning to work her way through nursing school, building a better future for her entire family.

Sunny's Take

Stories like these remind us that helping others isn't a one-way street. Dachowski's experience shows how volunteer work can fill the gaps left when careers end or health challenges arise. Meeting people from around the world, witnessing their determination, and celebrating their wins creates meaning that many retirees and people with disabilities struggle to find.

The beauty of programs like Literacy Together is their accessibility. You don't need to speak another language, have teaching credentials, or develop lesson plans from scratch. You just need a few hours a week and the willingness to show up for someone working hard to improve their life.

Thousands of adults across the country face literacy challenges that hold them back from better jobs, fuller participation in their communities, and helping their own children with homework. When volunteers step up, everyone wins.

Dachowski's message to anyone with time to spare is simple: this could be the most rewarding volunteer work you'll ever do, and you might be surprised by who benefits most.