Immigrants and refugees who are under more pressure than ever to quickly learn English are turning to Chester County’s Volunteer English Program for help, writes Jeff Gammage for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The program has been invaluable to Brazil native Edilson Almeida, who arrived here 15 years ago. The Chester County resident first tried to learn the language on his own, and he didn’t have much success. He then tried community college classes, but again made little progress, as the classes were not tailored to the different levels of English among the students.

Finally, he discovered the Volunteer English Program, which matches trained tutors with students who are looking to learn the language and local culture. The course is free and students are not asked if they are documented or undocumented. The only requirement is that they want to learn.

Founded a little more than three decades ago, the agency currently helps around 250 students with a waiting list of another 150 eager to expand their English skills.

“I can’t imagine if I were dropped into Brazil and expected to speak Portuguese,” said Donna Dello Buono, program outreach coordinator and former tutor.

Read more about the Volunteer English Program in the Philadelphia Inquirer here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage here.