Since 1987, the Moore County Literacy Council has had an office and primary tutoring site in Southern Pines.

Off-site tutoring was done on an individual basis at various locations throughout the county. When Susan Sherard began as executive director in 2006 she set her sights on expansion.

“I felt the council could better serve the county if we had additional permanent sites established in some of the other towns,” she says.

In January 2007, with the help of AmeriCorps volunteer Stephanie Wheeler, a site was begun in West End. St. Mary Magdalene Emmanuel Episcopal Church provided space for the tutors and students to meet once a week. In the fall of that year Nita Brunner, volunteer and former board president became the site supervisor. She began with six students and tutors. When she turned the program over to Jane Leach, the new volunteer site supervisor, last summer, the program had expanded to include 13 tutors and students and a computer lab containing four computers. All of the tutors and students either live or work in the area. In the last three years, more than 30 students have been served there.

This year Brunner has taken her show on the road to Carthage in hopes of duplicating the success of the site in West End. In partnership with the Carthage Library, the Literacy Council is serving five students and tutors. Brunner supervises a computer lab of four laptop computers in a conference room at the library from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursdays. Here the students use software to support their efforts to learn. At present, all of the students are from the Carthage or Robbins area. There are two students who are presently waiting for tutors.

“We hope to find space to accommodate more tutors and students,” says Brunner.

“The Literacy Council is pleased that we have been able to expand to meet the needs of both tutors and students,” says Sherard.

This allows the council to provide free one-on-one tutoring in the communities of individuals who would like to learn to read or read better. The council also serves people from other countries who would like to learn to speak English.

“If you know of someone who could use our help or if you would like to become a tutor, please call us at (910) 692-5954 or e-mail to pammclc@nc.rr.com,” says Sherard.

More information about the organization can be found at the Web site www.mcliteracy.com.