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Literacy Changes Everything

Providing free adult literacy education in Greater Richmond for over 40 years

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A Snapshot of the 2026 School Year

(September 2025 – July 2026)

Total Number of Students

312

Volunteer Hours Served

12,612

Total Number of Tutors

196

Value of Volunteer Hours served:

$466,517*

Total Instructional Hours

14,271

Students Who Advanced a Grade Level

98

In addition to improved reading and comprehension skills, READ RVA students experience:

  • Increased confidence and independence

  • Strengthened family literacy and generational love of reading

  • Increased confidence navigating the “Business of Life,” such as filling out paperwork, obtaining a driver’s license, and registering to vote

  • Improved healthcare access and outcomes as students are better able to navigate healthcare directives, prescription details, and making appointments and filling out paperwork at the doctor’s office

  • Improved ability to search for, apply for, and secure employment, as well as advance in the workplace

*Source: Independentsector.org

Find the results of our latest student surveys, where they share about their accomplishments since starting READ RVA adult literacy programs HERE.

The Facts

More than 100,000 adults in Greater Richmond lack basic literacy skills.

A mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing other factors, such as neighborhood and family income.

32%

of READ students have a high school diploma or equivalent.

$215 BILLION a year in health care costs are linked to low literacy. Those with low health literacy spend $3,362/year on prescriptions.

59 MILLION adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level.

Bringing all adults to the equivalent of a sixth-grade reading level would generate an additional $2.2 TRILLION in annual income for the country.

Source: ProLiteracy, US Adult Skills Facts (2025). View the fact sheet.

  • “Learning to read opens up so many opportunities to become a better version of myself. It increases my confidence to do better in any task I attempt without being afraid to engage in that task. Reading is the gateway to my personal freedom and it feels good.“

    — Michael, READ RVA Student

  • “I am more convinced than ever that everyone is capable of learning to read and that it is never too late. I am grateful to have the opportunity to support students on their reading journey.”

    — Renee Purdy, Volunteer Literacy Tutor

  • “I moved into my apartment for the first time ever, and I did everything on my own. I was able to understand all the paperwork on my own instead of calling my daughter.”

    — Donna, READ RVA Student

  • “Our students are some of the bravest and most resilient people I know.”

    — Debbie Amos, Volunteer Literacy Tutor

  • “It’s been a great journey and I know the journey is not over yet. I still have a long way to go and I’m willing to embrace it, to endure, to finish it.”

    — READ RVA Student

  • “Hearing my students read fluently and watching them actively advance their skills is immensely gratifying and inspires me to work harder.”

    — Devi Veeramgari, Volunteer Literacy Tutor

  • “I want to write a new script for my life. I’m doing this for me, for my kids.”

    — READ RVA Student

Student Experiences

Media