This week we honor Howard Area Community Center in Chicago.

A successful businessman from Belize arrived in the United States not knowing how to read. He could no longer rely on his network of business contacts in Belize for assistance. He wanted to become independent and be able to read the letters his daughter wrote him from Belize. Another goal was to become a citizen of the United States.

The gentleman was matched with a volunteer tutor from Howard Area Community Center who worked with him by integrating the necessary phonics instruction with material that he would find on the citizenship test. After several months, the businessman took and passed the oral part of the citizenship exam. He continued working with his tutor to improve his reading and writing skills. When he retook the reading and writing portion of the exam, he passed. The determination and persistence between this businessman and the volunteer tutor is an inspiration to others in the program.