. >> reporter: randy roth couldn't believe that 60% of oakland third graders were >> they are kids at promise. >> reporter: so 15 years ago he gave up being a full-time pastor and established faith network of the east bay. >> we do not provide religious services. but we provide services. >> reporter: those services now reach into 36 east bay schools, mostly in oakland. a key program is "succeeding by reading,: 300 volunteer tutors spending an hour a week working one-on-one with second graders focusing on reading and comprehension. >> it's one thing to read a word on a page. it's another thing to carve a pumpkin so now what pulp really -- it's another thing to carve a pumpkin so you know what pulp really means. >> reporter: carolyn piraino has worked with randy since the beginning. >> many children hate reading. it's so hard for them. they just don't want to do it, even the simplest books.

.>>> randy roth could not believe that 60% of the oakland third-graders were behind in their reading ls, so randy gave up being a full-time pastor to establish the network and the east bay. >> we do not provide religious services, but we do provide service. >> reporter: reaching into 36 east bay schools, mostly in oakland. the key program is succeeding by reading, 300 volunteer tutors spend one hour a week working one-on-one with second graders focusing on reading and comprehension. >> it is one thing to read words on a page, another thing to carve a pumpkin so that you know what it means.>> reporter: carolyn has been working with randy since the beginning. >> many children come in here and they quite simply hate to read because it is so hard for them, and they do not want to read even the most simple books. >> reporter: curtis retired as a teacher and became a tutor three years ago.>> it is like a lightbulb comes on and all of a sudden the kids will go through these with no problem at all. >> reporter: students like caroline.>> when i was in second grade, i was a letter and a and the

randy roth couldn't believe that 60% of oakland third graders were behind in their reading skills. >>hey are kids at promise. >> reporter: so 15 years ago he gave up being a full-time pastor and established faith network of the east bay. >> we do not provide religious services. but we do provide services. >> reporter: those services now reach into 36 east bay schools mostly in oakland. a key program is succeeding by reading, 300 volunteer tutors spending an hour a week working one-on-one with second graders for exampling on reading and compre-- focusing on reading and comprehension. >> it's one thing to read word on a page. it's another thing to carve of a pumpkin so now what pulp really means. >> reporter: carolyn pa rain no has worked with randy since the beginning. >> many children hate reading. it's so hard for them. they just don't want to do it even the simplest books. >> tremendous progress. >> reporter: curtis crum retired as a teacher, only to become a tutor three years ago. >> seems like light comes on and all of a sudden, you know, kids go through all these flash cards with