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News from El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission
March 2010 |
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El Buen Samaritano Welcomes New Additions to the Family |
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Lluvia Reyes
Medical Administrative Assistant
Lluvia, 22, joined the staff of the Wallace Mallory Clinic on January 5. She previously worked for an otolaryngologist for more than two and a half years. A native from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, Lluvia is fully bilingual. She received her medical administrative assistant certificate from the Everest Institute in 2007.
Elida Hernandez
Medical Administrative Assistant
Elida, 20, joined the staff of the Wallace Mallory Clinic on January 5. Elida received her medical assistant certificate from the Southern Career Institute in May 2009 and hopes to become a medical assistant at the Wallace Mallory Clinic in the near future.
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Volunteer at the Food Pantry |
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As requests for food assistance increase in the food pantry, El Buen Samaritano needs your support!
Consider becoming a food pantry volunteer. The time commitment is two hours per week and the fulfillment received through this opportunity is endless. Learn more. |
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Employment Opportunity
at the Wallace Mallory Clinic |
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The Wallace Mallory Clinic is adding a behavioral health specialist to its Social Services team. Eligible candidates must be licensed certified social workers (LCSW).
For more information, click here. |
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Leave a Lasting Legacy |
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By including El Buen Samaritano in your will, you help to ensure the future of our mission to provide a hand up to Austin's underserved families.
Your gift is a lasting and vital way to help others. Your support helps us ensure an enduring legacy for generations to come.
If you have included El Buen Samaritano as a beneficiary in your will, please let us know. If not, your attorney or financial advisor will be able to assist you with various ways to add El Buen Samaritano to your will.
If you have questions about Planned Giving or Endowment Gifts, please contact Director of Development Melinda Rodriguez. |
| Does your employer
match your charitable donations or volunteerism? |
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Many employers match donations to charitable organizations for their employees, retirees and family members. Employer matching gifts can double or even triple your donation to El Buen Samaritano. To initiate a matching gift, check with your employer's personnel or human resources department.
If the employer uses a Matching Gift form, please complete and send it to: El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission, Fund Development, 7000 Woodhue Drive, Austin, TX 78745.
Many employers also encourage their employees to give back to the communities in which they live. Please contact us if you believe that your employer sponsors a Volunteerism Pays Program which encourages employees to get involved in charitable organizations that matter in their communities by making donations to these organizations on their behalf for the time they spend as a volunteer. |
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Become a Volunteer Instructor |
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In anticipation of the spring semester, El Buen Samaritano's Education Department is in need of volunteers who can assist with teaching adult education and youth classes.
The time commitment is three hours per week and the fulfillment received through these opportunities is endless. Learn more. | |
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Attack against Obesity in Austin |
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The arrival of a nutritionist to El Buen Samaritano couldn't have come at a better time. As First Lady Mrs. Obama tackles the issue of childhood obesity on a national level, locally, El Buen Samaritano recognizes the importance of starting with mom.
Delia Fernandez, 35, lost eight pounds in 21 days last month.
Between managing her home and raising an autistic child, Delia's health came second. Three years ago, Delia came to the Wallace Mallory Clinic for family planning and women's health care services, but her continuously increasing weight prevented her from keeping her cholesterol and glucose levels in check. She was referred to El Buen's nutritionist after her routine medical visit last month, and has since adjusted her eating habits, as well as added exercise to her daily routine.
"I thought skipping meals would help me lose weight," Delia said. "Instead, I learned that eating well-balanced meals more frequently would help increase my metabolism, which would in turn help me lose weight faster and in a much healthier way."
El Buen's nutritional counseling is free of charge and customized for the unique dietary needs of exercise program participants and patients referred by the Wallace Mallory Clinic.
"Based on the individual's height, weight, age and activity level, we figure out a daily calorie intake," said Veronica Saldate, nutritionist of El Buen. "We then give them a menu they can use as a guideline to stay within their recommended caloric intake, and alternatives to ensure the client stays motivated."
According to Veronica, Delia's approach to gradual weight loss will help her continue adjusting her routine to lead a healthier lifestyle, which in turn will produce life-long changes. "I am motivated every time I meet someone like Delia," Veronica said. "Her positive attitude is contagious, and I respect that she is doing everything she can to be healthy for her children and to teach them how to lead healthy lives."
In addition to customizing a diet for every client, Veronica provides tips on how to eat healthy on a budget. These tips include buying produce when it's in season, buying frozen fruits and vegetables when they're on sale and keeping them in the freezer and purchasing generic brands.
For more information about El Buen's Health, Wellness and Disease Prevention Programs, contact Lil Almonte, director of outreach. |
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Community Discussions Aimed at Strengthening Programs |
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 In an effort to learn how clients feel about the programs and services offered at El Buen Samaritano, at the end of 2009, the organization conducted a series of focused conversations, following a format which welcomes and promotes open participation while transcending cultural and language barriers.
Developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, the focused-conversation approach brought participants from every program area of the organization together to discuss their likes and dislikes of the services they access at El Buen Samaritano.
"As we prepare for a five-year strategic plan, we wanted to capture clients' specific opinions, feedback and suggestions for our programs and services," said Victor Azíos, executive director.
During the community discussions, moderators heard about the welcoming, service-oriented and thoughtful attitude of personnel; the relevancy of classes offered; the importance of the pre-literacy curriculum at the Child Learning; the significance of much-needed medical attention at the Wallace Mallory Clinic; and clients' gratefulness for reasonable and affordable fees for services.
Holding true to its vision to offer a hand up, not a hand-out to its clients, the agency confirmed that clients' sense of dignity has always been intact.
"El Buen Samaritano was characterized in terms such as compassionate, helpful, special for the entire family, awesome and welcoming," said moderator Linda Ximenes. "Participants recalled instances when El Buen Samaritano helped them come out of a depression through counseling services and meditation classes; times of encouragement from exercise instructors; and times when their baby's face radiated with happiness on their way to El Buen."
Azíos plans to continue using the focused-conversation approach, bringing community partners, donors and volunteers together in anticipation of El Buen Samaritano's new strategic plan, which is set to launch in October 2010.
For more information, contact El Buen Samaritano's Executive Director, Victor Azíos. |
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Volunteer Spotlight
SanJuanita Doria-Sanchez |
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 A native from the Mexican city of Linares, SanJuanita Doria-Sanchez (photo right) felt the need to help at El Buen Samaritano when she moved to Austin to be with her husband a year ago. Since then, she has faithfully taught and cared for El Buen Samaritano's youngest learners at the Child Learning Center.
"I get a great sense of emotional remuneration helping at El Buen," SanJuanita said. "I have felt a great sense of self-worth since I began volunteering here."
Currently a student of English as a Second Language, Level IV, at El Buen, SanJuanita hopes to acquire her permanent U.S. residency in the near future, transfer her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering administration and be a contributing member of her community while she continues to be involved as a volunteer at El Buen Samaritano.
"I'm happy to contribute to making the Child Learning Center a place where children and their families are given many opportunities to thrive and succeed together."
SanJuanita is thankful that she has found great friends in El Buen's staff members, clients and volunteers in a time when she knew no one in Austin. Volunteers like SanJuanita exemplify the virtues of the Good Samaritan. Her selfless presence and unconditional caring attitude make a world of difference to children in the Child Learning Center. El Buen is thankful for volunteers like SanJuanita. |
Community Partner Spotlight
Texas Department of State Health Services |
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The Texas Department of State Health Services awarded Title X and XX family planning program funding to the Wallace Mallory Clinic in the latter part of 2009. The clinic is projected to receive approximately $350,000 in support of family planning services from September 2009 through August 2010.
"While El Buen has offered family planning services for more than 14 years, the funding received by the Texas Department of State Health Services allows the Wallace Mallory Clinic to continue to increase access to these services while reducing costs to patients," said Al Perez, director of health services.
Support from these grants allow the Wallace Mallory Clinic to continue providing gynecological exams such as pap smears and breast exams, pregnancy tests, HIV tests and STD tests, as well as a range of contraceptive options. Family planning services at El Buen also include reproductive health education and outreach activities throughout the greater Austin area.
The Wallace Mallory Clinic has received Title X funds since 2007 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide family planning services to qualifying patients. El Buen Samaritano is grateful for its partnership with the Texas Department of State Health Services, as together we help underserved individuals shape the future of their families. |
| Special Thanks |
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| Thank You!
We are grateful for the support from the members of El Buen's Good Samaritan Society:
Board of Directors
The Rt. Rev. Dena Harrison, Chair Person
Carl Angel, President
Rudy Soto Jr., Vice President
Chuck Kline, Treasurer
Dr. Cathy Little, Secretary
Jennifer Cawley
The Rev. William Bennett
Vickie Blumhagen
The Rev. Miles R. Brandon
Jaime Chahin
David M. Edwards
Laurie Eiserloh
George A. Gutierrez
Dr. Mary Jo Hernandez
The Rev. Lisa Stolley Hines
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Ex Officio
Victor Azíos, Executive Director | |
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El Buen Samaritano is a nonprofit 501(c)3 charitable organization committed to transforming lives by engaging the strengths of working-poor Hispanic families to promote their successful participation in our society.
Since 1987, El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission has become a beacon of hope in the lives of Austin's working-poor Hispanic families by providing a safety net of vital programs and services such as integrated health care, English-as-Second-Language education, job readiness skills, social services, health education, leadership training, children programs and emergency food assistance.
For more information, please visit www.elbuen.org. |
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