The Redlands City Council, recognizing the vital importance of literacy in employment, family education, and civic engagement, has officially proclaimed Sunday, September 27, 2026, as Adult Literacy Day in Redlands. Councilman Paul Barich, a staunch supporter of the adult literacy program, presented the proclamation stating, “For the last 16 years the Redlands Adult Literacy Program at Smiley Library has helped adults improve their literacy skills so they can get or advance in their jobs, help their children in school, participate in civic activities, or work toward their own higher education. The council commends the efforts of the program, its staff, volunteers, community supporters, and partners for assisting adults who work to improve their literacy and calls upon our residents to promote literacy efforts and education programs throughout our community.”
Adult literacy coordinator Diane Shimota expressed her gratitude to the city, the library, local donors, and especially volunteer tutors and adult learners, sharing that the adult literacy program depends on local support to change lives through literacy.
At the Council meeting, Kim Green, who has been a volunteer tutor with the literacy program for 13 years and has taught the adult literacy computer class for ten years, shared some of her adult literacy experiences. Kim changed the names of adult learners during her presentation to respect the learners’ confidentiality.
Kim began by describing an adult learner whose life was dramatically changed by improved literacy. She said, “During my first year as a volunteer, I was matched with Melissa, whose goals were to be able to help her children with their homework, feel more comfortable communicating with their teachers, and as a result, volunteer more at their schools.
As her literacy skills greatly improved, and she achieved her goals, Melissa noticed the positive impact rippling through her family. Soon, she and her husband decided to pursue a shared dream: starting their own business in Redlands. Their family business is now in its eighth year and is very successful, but she is even more proud that all of her daughters have graduated from college.”
Highlighting her experience as the adult literacy computer class instructor, Kim observed: “As we know, being computer literate is a must in today’s world. For this reason, the program offers weekly computer classes to adult learners…When I ask participants to share their goals for taking the class, their reasons vary. But for quite a few, the motivation is: they want to advance in their careers. For Craig, an employee at UPS, becoming proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel meant an opportunity to move from the distribution center floor into an office position and compete for other promotions. After faithfully attending computer classes for several months, he met the job requirements and soon moved into the position he had been working toward.”
Kim concluded: “These stories illustrate how literacy changes the lives of adult learners and their families. But what I couldn’t have imagined 13 years ago was how much volunteering would change mine. I’ve received much more than I’ve given—the reward of seeing others reach their learning goals and knowing I played a small part in their journeys, the friendships I’ve gained along the way, and the pride of belonging to an organization that makes a meaningful contribution to the Redlands community.”
The Redlands community is invited to celebrate Adult Literacy Day by attending a Celebration of Authors on Sunday, September 27 at 2:00 p.m. at The Contemporary Club, 173 S. Eureka St., Redlands. The event is sponsored by the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. Adult Learners will read from their works which were recently published in the anthology Our Stories, A Collection of Writings, Volume 9. Light refreshments will be served at the Celebration.
Stories in this collection reflect the wide range of writing levels of adults in the literacy program. Each author worked diligently through the writing process with the assistance of a volunteer tutor. By working with their tutors, learners developed vital literacy skills that help them overcome obstacles in their lives.
Consider how your skills in reading and writing shape your life. If you want help with reading and writing, please contact Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator, at (909)798-7565 or email literacy@akspl.org. If you are interested in volunteering with the program, sign up for the next volunteer tutor orientation scheduled for January 19, 2027, at 6:00 p.m. at A.K. Smiley Library. Please contact the literacy program to reserve your space. The program is free and tutoring services are confidential.