Beginning next week, Meet Each Need with Dignity will launch a recruiting drive to increase its staff of volunteers who teach English to adults.
MEND's goal is to add 20 or more volunteers to teach daytime and evening classes at its community center in Pacoima. It also is seeking six people to help students in the English as a Second Language computer lab.
The 11-week classroom and computer lab sessions offer more than just language lessons. Students learn U.S. history, culture and citizenship. They also learn how to properly answer telephones, fill out forms and use community resources, said MEND Learning Center coordinator Blanca Nolledo.
In 1996, more than 1,300 new and returning students took the classes, assisted by volunteers who provided 2,300 hours, Nolledo said. Many students use skills learned in the classes to find work through MEND's job-placement program.
