BANGOR, Maine — After moving from his home in Haiti to the U.S., Bangor resident Ketson Dubuisson said it seemed nearly impossible to navigate a world where you can't understand what anything or anyone is saying.
"The language barrier was a lot. You feel like you're lost in the middle of the desert because you don't know anything; you don't know how to go to the grocery store," Dubuisson said.
But with help from organizations like the Literacy Volunteers of Bangor, he said the world that once seemed closed off to him, is now full of opportunities.
"I feel now very confident to write any mail to send to my boss. It's helped me to really work with my kids. It's everything," Dubuisson said.
Executive Director of the Literacy Volunteers of Bangor Mary Taylor said the need for tutoring services is the highest she's ever seen with 50 adults on their wait list.
"It can be life-or-death if you're not able to understand and consume what you need to around you in English. It's definitely something that either can hold you back or propel you in terms of educational and job opportunities," Taylor said.
While the organization helps many people who have immigrated to the U.S. with English literacy, longtime volunteer Lee White said she's also tutored Mainers who struggle with the language.
"I really go with where the person wants to go, for instance, one person right now, he's very into words and vocabulary," White said.
One thing that everyone White tutors shares in common is the confidence they gain from learning how to do everyday things.
"Just conversation: how do you get a job, how do you pick groceries, how do you negotiate?" White said.
Something she added makes the job one of the most rewarding things in the world, "To see that is just joy, it's joy."
The Literacy Volunteers of Bangor said they are also making the volunteer application process more accessible by offering an online and in-person hybrid option for the required tutoring classes.
If you're interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, staff say you can visit the organization's website to apply.