In a former church in Forest Park, children from Guatemala, Mexico and
El Salvador gather after school for free help with their homework. Their
parents often stay nearby, hoping to pick up new lessons of their own
in their work to adjust to a new nation and a new way of life.
The outreach effort by the Latino Ministry Commission of the
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio
in the former Holy Spirit Church continues to grow, offering support
and encouragement to immigrant students, their families and the native
English speakers who work with them in schools, hospitals and
businesses.
Carlos de Jesus chairs the Commission and also provides conversational
Spanish training for first responders in Forest Park and Fairfield. The
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, with offices downtown, also includes
one of fewer than 10 designated bi-lingual Spanish/English parishes in
the country, at the Church of Our Savior in Mt. Auburn.
In the Forest Park space, English classes for native Spanish speakers
and Spanish classes for native English speakers overlap every week,
allowing teachers to talk to parents, nurses to chat with potential
patients, and employers to have conversations with workers.
"If we can just give them confidence to communicate with their
neighbors, bosses and at the store," says de Jesus, an energetic GE
retiree. He spearheads the all-volunteer effort of the Episcopal Diocese
with an eye toward creating a model for other cities, and expanding the
homework club as well.
Do Good:
• Have a conversation.
E-mail Carlos de Jesus to volunteer with the homework club or other learning sessions.
•
Give a tweet. Follow the Southern Ohio Episcopal Diocese on Twitter.
• Learn more about Latinos in Greater Cincinnati. Visit the
Greater Cincinnati Latino Coalition.
By Elissa Yancey
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