The READ Program is a non-profit, 501(c)3 volunteer organization.  It is made up of a Board of Directors (our governing body); volunteers that do tutoring, fundraising and administrative work; and most importantly, our students. 

Everything we do at READ revolves around how we can best serve the needs of our students/learners.  We look for any type of funding we may have access to.  Funds are expended to pay for overhead such as rent and utilities, salary for one full-time director, match stipend for AmeriCorps members, consumable books and materials and for our library loan collection.  READ has received corporate and private foundation grants, federal grants, state grants, fundraising monies, individual donations and support from our local communities.

Our main focus is working with adults.  Some of our funding requires that we work only with adults.  When we have accessible tutors, such at Ouachita Technical College Federal Work Studies or retired teachers willing to work with children, we will work with people under eighteen years old. 

We enroll students who come to us of their own will or were brought to us by a relative or neighbor.  Some learners are referred by programs such as Department of Community Corrections (DOCC), the HSC Drug Court, Dept. of Human Services (DHS), employers, etc.  For over three years, we have trained inmates to tutor inmates at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit (ORCU) in Malvern.  We have placed an AmeriCorps member at Omega Technical Violators Program (OTVP or Omega) for tutoring of two residents per two month time period.

READ offers services to any person regardless of income, race, creed, gender or disabilities.  There are no

costs related to the tutor or learner -- all materials and facilities are provided.  If a financial problem could be a barrier to learning, we have removed it by not charging for services.  We refer learners to the agency or organization that best suits any particular barrier.  If a man and his children are hungry he cannot learn.  His immediate needs must first be addressed.

Our main goal is to offer instruction to people in ways they can absorb.  Working one-to-one with volunteer tutors offers a real advantage.  A person can learn in his/her personal learning style.  If one way does not seem to be working then another way might.  Learners are assessed for their beginning reading and/or math level and learning strengths.  Our base curriculum is the Laubach Way to Reading Series, although alternative and multiple methods are available.  Students are constantly exposed to numerous learning modalities to reinforce what they learn.  Seeing, speaking, hearing and writing are constantly reinforced.  Learning styles that work, pinpointed by the tutor or student, are given extra focus.  Learners and tutors are matched by available times for tutoring, location and personalities.  At any time the "match" does not seem to be working, staff will tactfully place the student with another tutor.  That may help a student learn better.  In the case of a switch with student or tutor, staff "re-matching" keeps everyone in their comfort zone by not having to deal with issues as simple as personalities. 

In 1989, staff of the Hot Spring County Library started a volunteer literacy program.  In 1990, the library was offered funding through a community action agency to hire a coordinator/director.  In 1992, the program applied for and received non-profit status with IRS as Literacy Council of Hot Spring County, Inc.  For many years, the library generously provided space, utilities and telephone to the literacy council.  April 28, 1998 everything changed.  At 1:45 a.m. the library was struck by lightning.  Within 45 minutes the structure had burned to the ground.  Everyone was thankful no one was injured. 

As the library rebuilt, the literacy council started from scratch without a salvaged pencil or piece of paper.  All we had left was the faith and perseverance of our volunteers.  Even though the library had little to share, they continued to provide our program with a facility until December 1998.  In January '99 we began remodeling our current rental location at 122 E. Page in Malvern.  We sanded, painted, scraped, washed and renovated floors to ceilings.  We acquired funding, furniture (although not very fancy), consumable books and supplies, rebuilt our literacy library collection and won back our most valuable asset -- students!  We were on the roll again.  In April '99 we had our Grand Opening doing business as READ, or Reading Education ADvancement, and grand it was.

For many previous years, we had assisted Ouachita Technical College Adult Education (OTCAE) with their annual haunted house, sharing part of the funds that were made.  In 1999, they donated all of their props to READ and continued to volunteer.  They gave us the fundraising boost we will never forget in literally donating a haunted house to us.  Thus was the birth of the READ Haunted House (HH).  In Oct. '99 we had the First Annual READ HH in our office building.  We celebrated our tenth annual HH in 2008.

In 2005 we had another stroke of bad luck, but it made us more determined and stronger.  We had a break-in through the back window of our rental building.  All of our equipment was stolen or destroyed.  Again, we had a miracle in that bad luck, no one was harmed.  With insurance coverage and a $2,000 grant from our state affiliate, Arkansas Literacy Councils, Inc., we replaced and repaired all equipment.  There was no interruption in the flow of instruction for our students. 

In 2000 a local landowner donated half of the old West Brother's Dept. store on Main St. downtown Malvern to the literacy council.  Our HHs were held there from 2000 to 2006.  The owner of the second half generously allowed us to use his half for the HH.  In 2005, a trust company had taken over that owner's assets.  After several months of phone conversations, the trust company donated the 322 S. Main Street holdings to Literacy Council of HSC, Inc.  In 2006 we were approached by a realtor from Bryant, Arkansas.  After months of meetings and decision-making by multiple owners of that downtown Main Street block, Springfield Holdings Co. purchased about eighty-percent of it and built a Walgreen's Store. 

In June 2006 we had a mini-miracle.  Our staff and volunteers were going crazy looking at properties for READ and the HH.  Nothing was suitable or in a price range we could afford.  A board member "happened" onto 123, 125 and 127 Locust Street, and approached the owner about buying those three buildings.  The owner pondered and a meeting was set.  Forty of our staff and volunteers met the owner and toured the property.  That evening we had a Board of Director's meeting.  The decision was made, we bought the property.  Although renovation of building one (our eventual office building) is not complete today, we will acquire funding for renovation.  After many years of in-kind provision of an office or renting, our program will house all functions under one roof owned by READ (a.k.a. community property).  We can loan our community room with no fee to other organizations instead of vice-versa.

The two warehouse buildings, 125 and 127 Locust (buildings two and three), were renovated for storage and fundraising.  READ HH was held there for the third year in 2009. 

It is natural for human beings to resist change.  The people that make up the READ Program are not "faint of heart" or afraid to change.  They welcome challenges and change -- that's pretty much what READ is all about.  We hope to change individuals' lives, the lives of their families and of our future generations.  "To teach is to learn twice."  In doing just that, we change.  It is always for the better.  Our community, counties, state, country and world change, even if it is one person at a time.  Tomorrow offers challenges and risks we are ready to take -- come share our adventure!