"You can't continue to operate on a base grant of say $10,000 7 years after the start of a program. If you've done all the right things and if there is a natural progression, you're just naturally going to have more students and therefore should have enough funding to provide a good service for those students."

I was disappointed when Pat came to tell me that we needed to get going if we wanted to arrive at our next destination on time. Karen's suggestions for funding criteria were good ones; Karen and I agreed to talk more by telephone.

Another smooth take off and we were on our way east to Barrhead, an agricultural community which is home to about 4000 people. The sky was still clear and I could see for miles. No other air traffic was near us as we approached the Barrhead Airport. Coming in for our landing, I noticed a car kicking up a trail of dust on its way to the airport building. The runway was long and smooth and we sailed in with a steady head wind.

Perfect timing. CHERYL SANDERMAN-GERGATZ parked her car and came out to the plane to offer us a hand with our belongings. It was just after noon so Cheryl drove us into town to have lunch at Baba's Kitchen. Over a feast of perogies, cabbage rolls and kubassa, Cheryl talked excitedly about her new position as coordinator of the Barrhead and District Reading and Writing Program.

Cheryl had been hired 2 months earlier and was still feeling somewhat shell-shocked from having to dive into the job head first. "I was hired and then all of a sudden it was World Literacy Week. Jenny Kitz (the coordinator before me) had already done some work to organize the Read-In but I had to meet with all the school boards and different businesses to ask if they would participate. And we had a Tutor Gathering for all the tutors that week and I had to talk to the Chamber of Commerce, too. My first month here was a complete blur."

Relieved that she is feeling a little more in control of the situation now, Cheryl expanded on some of her immediate difficulties. "I still feel like there's just so much to learn. For example, we have a small resource library, but I haven't had time to really look and see what's in it. And I'm not sure I'd even know how to tell if the material is any good. I had no idea where to begin but then I just decided that what I have to do first is concentrate on the learners and tutors. That has seemed to help and now I'm just trying to take some time to get used to my job."

After lunch, Cheryl drove us to her office in the County of Barrhead Building. Pat went to meet with a group of tutors, while Cheryl and I relaxed in her office for an hour.

What a high-intensity introduction Cheryl has had to literacy work! Thankfully Cheryl is starting her work in a whole new era of support. When Jan and Velen and Sharon first started their programs, the LCA was just getting on its feet as was the AAAL. The need for literacy workers to work together and offer support to each other has now been recognized. What a difference that has made.

I talked to Cheryl about the pace and the expectations of the job and asked her if she was worried about her own ability to cope. She described the personal and professional strengths she feels she has that will help her deal with whatever lies ahead. "I have a B.Ed. and a background in teaching and I've worked in a number of jobs that involved planning training programs. I know this community really well and I have a lot of contacts. I've already met people from my region with the LCA so I have people to call on if I have a question and my Advisory Committee is really active and helpful."