. >> reporter: executive director patty donnelly says the help comes one on one from 1400 dedicated volunteers, and we do mean dedicated. >> in order to be a literacy council volunteer tutor, they have to take 12 hours of training to serve in the basic literacy program, or 16 hours of training to serve in the. sol program. >> abraham lincoln. >> born in 1809. >> i'm very motivated to give someone a stronger voice to express her ideas and thoughts. >> reporter: anne has been helping her find her voice for the last year and a half, and the results speak for themselves. >> i never thought i would be typing a letter in english or, or taking my brother and sister, and go to the doctor and interpret for them. i never thought i would be doing that. >> when you teach someone to read, then they have the skills to learn more and more. you just are give something the keys to the kingdom. >> reporter: volunteers -- donations keep you going. [ indiscernible ] there is $5000 given to support the cause. >>> annie, lay it on us, the holiday weekend has finally arrived. what are we looking at? it's pretty nice

. >> reporter: executive director patty donnelly says most of that help comes one on one from 1400 dedicatedunteers and we do mean dedicated? >> in order to be a literacy council volunteer tutorrer they have to take 12 hours of training to serve in the basic literacy program or 16 hours of training to serve in the esol tutoring program. >> abraham lincoln. >> abraham lincoln. >> born in 1809. >> i'm very motivated to give someone a stronger voice to express her ideas and thoughts. >> reporter: ann has been helping this woman find her voice for the last year and a half and the results speak for themselves. >> i never thought i would be typing a letter in english or taking my brother or my sister and go to the doctor and interpret for them. i never thought i would be doing that. >> when you teach someone to read then they have the skills to learn more and more. you've just given somebody the keys to the kingdom. >> reporter: derek mcginty, 9news now. >> volunteers make the literacy council of northern virginia successful. donations keep them going. the gannett foundation has given $5000 to sup