The Grand Smooch!

Most of us take for granted the privilege of being able to read. Did you know that an estimated 24% of adults living in Lakeland are functionally illiterate? That means nearly a quarter of the adults living in Polk County’s largest municipality can’t read above a 4th-grade English reading level. Roughly one in every four adults that you pass in the Swan City might not be able to read “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis in English. On an even more basic level, with that restricted level of reading, these folks might struggle to follow medical instructions, fill out an employment application, or even read to their children or grandchildren before bed.

One local nonprofit has been doing its part to reduce that level of illiteracy for the last 30 years by partnering volunteers with residents wanting to improve their reading skills. READ Lakeland, Inc. uses a network of volunteers and a partnership with the Polk County Public School system to coach one-on-one lessons for adults struggling with basic reading and writing, as well as working with them in small groups to give them agency over their lives and decisions, sometimes even offering people a second chance at a good quality of life. The people that READ Lakeland serves are from every gender, anywhere between 18 and 80 years old, and from many different ethnic and cultural groups.

READ Lakeland, Inc. is the only adult literacy program in Polk County and serves all of the county’s residents through its volunteer-led programs. Students of the nonprofit can expect to increase their reading, writing, basic math, and even life skills, like how to prepare for an interview or put together a resume. Beth Hesseltine, the director of READ Lakeland Inc., gave me the inside scoop on who they help and how. She shared that many of these adult learners originally struggled through the U.S. school system, potentially with an undiagnosed learning disability, a childhood illness, frequent moves between schools, or had to drop out of school before graduation to support themselves or family members. Still others are refugees and immigrants who are looking for a better quality of life for themselves and their families, and are only proficient in their first language. Any of those situations could have applied to anyone growing up if not for some privilege and good luck.

More than 65 tutors help Polk County residents through the initiative, logging well over 5000 hours in the community over the course of a year! Through online tutoring, in-person sessions at local libraries, and group sessions to practice skills, these tutors help prepare their students for new and ever-growing successes in their lives. Students like Mayuri, who had to flee from Cuba because she and her husband couldn’t support their family in Cuba’s economy, or Naila, a woman who immigrated from Pakistan with her family. Hesseltine shared with me Naila’s story, as it’s one of her favorites. “When she came to READ Lakeland, Naila could read English, but her sheltered life and quiet personality left her with low-level skills in speaking or understanding spoken English. For almost two years a tutor worked with her on pronunciation and conversational English in everyday situations such as making purchases at a store or calling for a medical appointment. With her new-found confidence in speaking English, Naila submitted an application and interviewed for a paid position. She was successful in her goal of finding a job.”

One of the most inspiring elements of READ Lakeland is its commitment to making the services free for the students and the families that they help. Because of that, as many people as possible can benefit without having to worry about how tutoring could impact what might already be a tight budget. Hesseltine shared that it costs the nonprofit “$500 to fund a single student for an entire year of learning. This includes all assessment testing, tutor training, books, electronic devices, subscriptions, and software/apps.”

READ Lakeland has come up with an (evil?) genius way to raise funds to support their literacy program. Some might even say they’ve gone… hog wild! Kiss the Pig is their annual fundraiser, in which people raise money by selling tickets to the Kiss the Pig “Grand Smooch Finale,” or just by collecting donations from willing sponsors. During the event, guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wine or beer, live music and dancing, raffles with fun prizes, and of course, the main, or should I say hooved, event. The lucky (although depending on who you are, that term may be relative) person who raised the most money in the last month will get to smooch a real pig! I guess you could say that whoever it is needs to be a real ham. Whether you are donating because one of the fundraisers is your cousin who tattled on you for sneaking candy when you were both five and you’ve been waiting decades to get them back, or because you care deeply about the mission of READ Lakeland, every dollar helps another person live a better life, so in my book, that’s money well spent. Tickets for the event are $50 each, so bring your date for a night out on the town and support a cause that brings home the bacon!

In a literacy study reported by the Literacy Project in July of 2024, the researchers found that the average American adult reads at a 7th to 8th grade level. However, over half (54%) of U.S. adults read below a 6th-grade level. This statistic truly shocked me, but not nearly as much as the majority of American adults who read no more than four books a year. FOUR. As someone who lets books whisk them off into a land of dragons and political intrigue any time I possibly can, I cannot fathom a life with only four books a year in it. Let’s all do our part to reduce illiteracy in Polk County, flex our reading muscles, and grant people the joy and freedom that being able to read easily permits.

In addition, contributing money or time towards adult literacy initiatives has been shown to give back to the community far more than it takes. According to READ Lakeland’s promotional materials for Kiss the Pig “for every $1 donated to adult literacy $33 is returned to the community in lower healthcare costs, fewer public assistance expenditures, higher job productivity, lower crime rates, and higher academic achievement for children in families with adults who can read.”

So, pick up a book and practice your reading and come out to support Kiss the Pig on May 8. As READ Lakeland’s Mission says, “when adults can read, families and communities thrive.”

READ LAKELAND’S GRAND SMOOCH FINALE

May 8, 5:30 p.m.

Lakeland Country Club

READ LAKELAND

1628 South Florida Avenue, Lakeland

863-802-1512

readlakeland.com