by Lisa Goudy
Donah Littlemore gets more from her volunteer work than she gives to her students.
"There is nothing better than having a learner look at you and want to know more," said Littlemore. "What you learn from them, to me, is a lot more than what I can teach them."
Littlemore was presented with the 2011 Canada Post Community Literacy Award at the Regina Central Public Library on Sept. 8, which was International Literacy Day. She was one of 13 winners across Canada.
Littlemore received the award for teaching English as a second language. She's been a volunteer tutor at the library's literacy program for the past four years. She also volunteers at the Adult Centre for Education and Employment Readiness (ACERT) for the Regina Food Bank.
"I think it's a very, very nice award, but people should be aware that the tutors out there are all qualified and they all are passionate," said Littlemore. "They all want to help."
The Literacy Awards program was initiated in 1993. Garry Palmer, the manager of mail operations in Regina for Canada Post, said the quality of award recipients are all "exceptionally high."
"It's a really exciting opportunity for Canada Post to recognize clearly the hard work and the dedication and the commitment that goes into extending literacy to people in Regina. Donah's clearly an exceptional representative of that action," said Palmer.
Alice Samkoe, the literacy program supervisor at the library, said the literacy program has been around for over 30 years. Samkoe said about 40 per cent of Canadians have low literacy and she estimated Littlemore spends about six hours a week helping out in the literacy program. She said it was wonderful one of the library's tutors was recognized by receiving this award for her hard work.
"Nothing is about Donah. She didn't even want to be nominated for this award. We had to convince her and we convinced her by letting her know that the awareness she would bring to the literacy cause was important," said Samkoe. "She doesn't consider herself as anybody special, which makes her all the more special."
Kabita Acharya came to Canada from Nepal in 2010 and has been a student of Donah's at ACERT since Sept. 27, 2010 to learn English as a second language. She had nothing but good things to say about the program.
"I like it very much," said Acharya. "It helps me a lot to speak."
Littlemore couldn't be happier helping out. Ever since she retired from her job as a secretary and became involved with the literacy program, the only regret she has is that she didn't start doing this many years ago, Littlemore said.
Donah Littlemore gets more from her volunteer work than she gives to her students.
"There is nothing better than having a learner look at you and want to know more," said Littlemore. "What you learn from them, to me, is a lot more than what I can teach them."
Littlemore was presented with the 2011 Canada Post Community Literacy Award at the Regina Central Public Library on Sept. 8, which was International Literacy Day. She was one of 13 winners across Canada.
Littlemore received the award for teaching English as a second language. She's been a volunteer tutor at the library's literacy program for the past four years. She also volunteers at the Adult Centre for Education and Employment Readiness (ACERT) for the Regina Food Bank.
"I think it's a very, very nice award, but people should be aware that the tutors out there are all qualified and they all are passionate," said Littlemore. "They all want to help."
The Literacy Awards program was initiated in 1993. Garry Palmer, the manager of mail operations in Regina for Canada Post, said the quality of award recipients are all "exceptionally high."
"It's a really exciting opportunity for Canada Post to recognize clearly the hard work and the dedication and the commitment that goes into extending literacy to people in Regina. Donah's clearly an exceptional representative of that action," said Palmer.
Alice Samkoe, the literacy program supervisor at the library, said the literacy program has been around for over 30 years. Samkoe said about 40 per cent of Canadians have low literacy and she estimated Littlemore spends about six hours a week helping out in the literacy program. She said it was wonderful one of the library's tutors was recognized by receiving this award for her hard work.
"Nothing is about Donah. She didn't even want to be nominated for this award. We had to convince her and we convinced her by letting her know that the awareness she would bring to the literacy cause was important," said Samkoe. "She doesn't consider herself as anybody special, which makes her all the more special."
Kabita Acharya came to Canada from Nepal in 2010 and has been a student of Donah's at ACERT since Sept. 27, 2010 to learn English as a second language. She had nothing but good things to say about the program.
"I like it very much," said Acharya. "It helps me a lot to speak."
Littlemore couldn't be happier helping out. Ever since she retired from her job as a secretary and became involved with the literacy program, the only regret she has is that she didn't start doing this many years ago, Littlemore said.
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