Noah is a rambunctious, energetic 4-year-old who is very curious about the world and eager to learn. Noah and his mom, Angela had to leave their home due to family violence and are living in the YMCA emergency and second-stage housing program. They are healing from trauma, surrounded by a supportive community, and living free from violence. While at the YWCA, Noah was able to access a reading program, which allowed him to access books and more importantly, give him avenues to explore his curiosity about learning.

In a world without books, Noah grows up and hides the fact that he struggles with reading and writing. He struggles to find a job, rent an apartment, and finds it extremely challenging to access services. Noah’s struggle with literacy is connected to mental health struggles, low civic engagement, poverty, addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.

One million Canadian children suffer from low literacy. One in four children do not have a single book in the home. No bedtime reading. No moral of the story. No happy ending. Low literacy starts in childhood and becomes a lifelong struggle that is often lived in secrecy, and undermines the well-being of hearts, minds, and our city as a whole.