Newton County READS, a 501(c) (3) agency serving Covington and Newton County, recently was awarded for their volunteer services.

During an awards ceremony on Oct. 11 held at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel, the organization received the 2012 Advocacy Award for Volunteer Tutor Hours. The agency received the award because of the dedication and hard work of volunteers from instructors to administrators.

Billie Izard, Executive Director for the Certified Literate Community Program said tutors in Newton County volunteered 4,161 hours tutoring Adult Education students. She congratulated the program's volunteers for all of their hard work.

"Congratulations to the Newton County Certified Literate Community Program, Newton County READS for their recognition during the 2012 Technical College System of Georgia, Office of Adult Education Annual Conference," Izard said.

"Thank you to all of the volunteers who put their passion for literacy and education into motion and helped students work on their goal of a better life through education."

Nancy Henderson, Vice-Chair and Educational Coordinator of Newton READS also praised the program.
"It is amazing what committed volunteers can do when we come together to help others make better lives for themselves and our community," Henderson said.

Newton READS offers adult literacy, GED preparation, and English as a 2nd Language (ESL) for the community. The organization is continuously looking for volunteers with a variety of interests.

The organization continuously looks to attract volunteers with a variety of interests from tutoring to administration to serving on the Board of Directors. For more information, call the office at (678) 342-7943.