Cindy Winters and spouse Kerry Winters

May 17, 2011

A native of the Czech Republic, who spoke no English, was at the counter of a fast-food restaurant in Hurricane. He was having some difficulty placing his order.

As chance would have it, a woman next to him spoke Czech and volunteered translation services.

Cindy Wnters cited this unlikely encounter as another sign of the increasing cultural diversity in Putnam County.

Winters, speaking today to Rotarians at their luncheon meeting, is president of the Literacy Volunteers, a cadre of adult education tutors.

The Czech-speaking woman called on the literacy group for assistance. "Who am I going to get to tutor this man?" Winters asked herself. "He doesn't know a word of English."

But their most recent training session had certified a woman who had taught in China for ten years. The new tutor was assigned to the Czech native for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) services. "He didn't know the alphabet, or the sounds that the letters make," said Winters.

District Governor Mary Keely chats with Lee Roberts, Assistant District Governor, who visited with the Putnam club today. Roberts is a member of St. Albans Rotary.

"But he started with money," she said, "so he could pay for the things he pointed out on the menu."

The Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County "teach the alphabet, help people in college, and everything in between."

"We have students in Putnam County from China, Japan, Korea, the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Guatamala, Ecuador -- to name a few," receiving ESL services.

Winters also has parents who want to help their children with homework. "We had a retired elementary teacher in our last training class," she explained, "who helped a mother help her son with his homework.

"We help people with employment issues, with school issues; we help people to be better readers.

"We have tutors who help with math. We do LPN prep. We do ACT prep. We have a lot of people who can do a lot of different things."

Winters encouraged her audience to help spread the word on literacy services. "A lot of our students don't read the newspapers," she said.

The organization matches tutors and students, gives them instructional materials, and provides places to meet. "Many of our students are concerned for privacy."

Community support for Literacy Volunteers has been strong. Rotary bought a computer and purchased "talking dictionaries" for the group.

Mike Hammett of Partners Insurance has provided ample office space in his offices at 3962 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane.

Further information on literacy services is available at the organization's web site and by phone at 304-757-1550.

Or you can send e-mail. "The man from the Czech Republic writes in Czech," said Winters, "and we receive it in English."

Winters, recently honored as state adult educator of the year, was Putnam's adult basic education coordinator before her retirement.