Janet Hitler, a 14-year resident of Bentley Village, said the literacy council program picked up where a program run by the school district left off. Until a few years ago, a teacher came to Bentley Village from Collier County's Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology for language classes. But when funding for the project was cut, the residents of Bentley decided to step in. Hitler said most of the student employees are Hispanic or Haitian and work in housekeeping or maintenance. She said the language barrier made communications difficult between the two groups.
Employees meet with residents for one hour twice a week.
Helen Bolton has been tutoring since January 2000. The move into the tutoring world was not a big leap for her. While living in New York City, Bolton spent years teaching English to newly immigrated business people. Now she spends two hours a week with a housekeeper from Mexico, teaching her vocabulary at a glass table in her living room. Verna said the new volunteer training session will be Saturday, June 2, and Saturday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bentley Village.