Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham is proving that community efforts effect change
“Books, Ducks, and a Sense of Purpose”
By Carly McCurry
I was three weeks into housewifery, six months into the pregnancy, and drowning in clean laundry and reorganized spice racks when I stumbled on a small newspaper ad: “Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham needed ESOL teachers”. I sent an email.
VFL doesnât boast a flashy logo, but its impact is real. They offer “free literacy support” to kids and adultsâespecially immigrants and low-income familiesâthrough “English classes, reading fairs, Little Free Libraries”, and more. When schools closed during COVID, VFL delivered books to doorsteps, proving literacy isnât just about learningâitâs about “empowerment”.
In a county facing rising poverty and fading job prospects, VFL, which runs
initiatives like the Dictionary Project and Scripps Spelling Bee, is helping people rewrite their futuresâone book at a time. And in spring, they make it joyful, tooâwith events like “Dec-A-Duck” and the Soque River Duck Race, blending fun and fundraising.
I didnât conquer French cooking, but I found purpose in a paperback and a yellow duck. Sometimes thatâs enough.
— The original story was edited to fit our website profile.
I was three weeks into housewifery, six months into the pregnancy, and drowning in clean laundry and reorganized spice racks when I stumbled on a small newspaper ad: “Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham needed ESOL teachers”. I sent an email.
VFL doesnât boast a flashy logo, but its impact is real. They offer “free literacy support” to kids and adultsâespecially immigrants and low-income familiesâthrough “English classes, reading fairs, Little Free Libraries”, and more. When schools closed during COVID, VFL delivered books to doorsteps, proving literacy isnât just about learningâitâs about “empowerment”.
In a county facing rising poverty and fading job prospects, VFL, which runs

VFL-McCurry-1
I didnât conquer French cooking, but I found purpose in a paperback and a yellow duck. Sometimes thatâs enough.
— The original story was edited to fit our website profile.