For over three decades the Dominican Literacy Center in Aurora has been a haven for women immigrants who want to learn English in a safe and supportive environment. But that mission has become tougher under the Trump administration, says Executive Director Claire Wiesner-Smillie, with last year’s ICE presence in the city creating more fear and anxiety among students. Plus, “the goal post keeps moving” for those working toward their citizenship, she adds, noting the U.S. naturalization exam is not only more difficult but application deadlines and testing dates are constantly in flux. Still, “overall we are doing very well considering the circumstances,” says Wiesner-Smillie, pointing to a return to in-person tutoring for students who chose to learn remotely when federal immigration enforcement agents were so prevalent in Aurora. Much of the credit for the center’s resiliency, she says, goes to its many volunteers, who come from Kane, DuPage, Kendall and DeKalb counties to work in weekly 90-minute one-on-one sessions with students from countries all over the world. Now in her fourth year, Deb Schmalholz of St. Charles is one of those committed volunteers, who Wiesner-Smillie describes as “always ready to do” whatever is needed “If we lose a volunteer, she steps right up” to fill that spot, says the executive director, praising the tutor’s “cheerful presence” and “can-do” attitude. For Schmalholz, a retired educator who believed in empowering students throughout her career, the Dominican Literacy Center’s mission and its “communal caring” atmosphere resonates with her. “These students are so wonderful … they are my heroes,” she insists, noting how immigrant women, who already have busy lives, must “step out of their comfort zones, especially with language and culture,” in their quest to better their futures and those of their families. How can you not be “inspired by those women … their efforts, their stories?,” she asks. “I love this gig.” Schmalholz thinks you might enjoy it as well. The Dominican Literacy Center needs more volunteers, and is offering a training session at its headquarters at 260 Vermont Ave. from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Jan. 17. To attend, call 630-898-4636 or email [email protected]. Four years ago Schmalholz saw a similar outreach in her church bulletin, which piqued her interest because she not only had a desire to continue her “passion for teaching,” as a graduate of Dominican University, she saw it “as a sign.” But you certainly don’t have to be a teacher or a Dominican alum to be successful at it, Schmalholtz insists, noting that the center, which was awarded the prestigious Library of Congress Literacy Award in 2023, has a “top notch” staff and “state of the art” curriculum that makes volunteering flexible and “so doable.” Those feelings are shared by Pat Leatherwood, a retired CPA with the Internal Revenue Service who has been a volunteer for over 15 years. Pat Leatherwood, right, shown with her ESL student Aransazu, has been a longtime tutor at the Dominican Literacy Center in Aurora, which will hold a training session for new volunteers on Jan. 17. (Dominican Literacy Center) While doing consulting work overseas, the 78-year-old Leatherwood “got a taste” for what it is like to be in a country where language and culture are different. And once she started teaching, “I loved what it did for people who really have a desire and a need to learn,” she says. Wiesner-Smillie has nothing but praise for this longtime volunteer, who has not only committed so much one-on-one tutoring time but also holds fun literacy games for all the students during their morning breaks at the center. Still, like Schmalholz, Leatherwood is adamant she receives far more than she gives. Having grown up “very poor” in a Chicago inner city neighborhood, “I was given help to survive and thrive in society. So this gives me a feeling of being able to give back,” she says, adding that “what is so unique” about the Dominican Literacy Center is its focus on the women of immigrant households, who often are “the heart of the family.” Currently, says Wiesner-Smillie, the center has 122 volunteers but looking to add another 25 weekly tutors for its ESL program and for classes that prepare men and women for their naturalization tests. It’s been a challenge for both tutors and students, some of whom have had to start and stop sessions as they deal with the “fear and uncertainty” of this immigration crackdown, says Wiesner-Smillie. While there’s been a “huge increase” in those ready to take citizenship classes, she continues, 75% of students who have completed the course are waiting on a test date, which also contributes to their anxiety. As an example, she points to a student from Afghanistan, a military interpreter for the U.S. for nine years, who passed his citizenship test along with his wife, but recently got a letter notifying them the planned ceremony had been cancelled. “Our model is intentionally built to provide a safe place for them to learn, so in terms of their performances, they are still doing fine. It just makes it harder for everyone,” says Wiesner-Smillie. “These volunteers are caring people who stick it out because they know what they are doing is important.” Which is why both tutors I spoke with encourage anyone who has even an inkling of interest to find out more about the center and its upcoming training. “For me,” says Schmalholz, “it’s been a gift from heaven.” [email protected] ...read more read less