LEHI — There are two rules at the Lehi-Rippy Literacy Center: You don't come in without getting help, and you don't leave without taking a lollipop.
Hesther Rippy, who founded the center with her husband 10 years ago, is adamant about sticking to both rules — even if it means adding a new branch to the literacy center or tracking down someone who speaks an obscure foreign language.
"There's somebody somewhere who knows anything you want to learn, we just have to find them," she said. The center has provided tutoring in a broad range of subjects including Ukrainian and economics as well as the staple subjects of reading, math and Spanish.
L'Oreal Paris recently selected Rippy, 80, as one of 13 "Women of Worth" honorees because of her tireless efforts as the founder and full-time volunteer director of the literacy center, which is the largest of its kind in the nation.
The award was inspired by the company's signature phrase "Because I'm Worth It" and is awarded to women, who are nominated by members of their community, for exceptional voluntarism.
"We're thrilled to be honoring Hesther and the other 12 amazing women from all across the country for their dedication to their communities," said Carol J. Hamilton, president of L'Oreal Paris.
The honor came as a surprise to the genteel, silver-haired Rippy. She doesn't take credit for the 10,000 success stories her literacy center has inspired since she first started tutoring children in the hallway of a recital hall in 1997.
"She won't say it, but this is her life," said Nancy Weitzel, assistant director of the literacy center. "She lives for helping these children."
Rippy comes in early and stays late, frequently working more than 60 hours a week, Weitzel said. She has never turned away a willing student.
"If you come to Hesther and say, 'I want to learn,' she'll find a teacher and teach you for free," said George Fannin, 73, who oversees the math portion of the Lehi-Rippy Literacy Center. "We wouldn't be here without her."
Fannin said Rippy's literacy center does more than just help children with their schoolwork.
"We say here we teach self-esteem," he said. "Along the way they learn a little math."
Rippy started out with one computer, two bookshelves and a handful of reading booklets. Now the bustling two-building center boasts 46 computers and serves more than 700 students weekly.
Thursday Rippy hovered over 10-year-old Kathy Long like a proud mother hen.
Long, who lives in Lehi, was helping Dylan Garner, 8, read a story about collecting things. At the Lehi-Rippy Literacy Center, children become "tutors in training" after they have mastered the material in the reading primers at their own level.
"I came here a few months ago because I had trouble reading the words correctly," Long said. "Now reading is really fun and easy. Since they taught me here, I tutor so I can give back something."
Watching the students grow is Rippy's favorite part of the job, she said.
"If you can read you can be anybody, go anywhere, do anything you want to do," Rippy said. "If people have done it, you can read about it and learn how to do it."
L'Oreal Paris will donate $2,500 to the Lehi-Rippy Literacy Center and $2,500 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
E-mail: estuart@desnews.com