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From the Executive Director
So much of what we do at ACLAMO is a direct result of our close partnerships. The community we serve is the beneficiary, whether it's through the help of corporations such as Comcast, or of students from Radnor High School or Ursinus College who bring their youthful energy and generosity, or agencies like HIAS that offer their expertise and assistance. We are bound by our common desire to help those in need to become more self-reliant, and to become the next great generation of Americans.
This mo nth please read about these and other collaborations and consider partnering with us by donating a gift. Please our newsletter to friends, visit our website aclamo.org, and see us on Facebook. Thank you!
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Radnor High School Students Help ACLAMO Students with Special Project
The Radnor High School Culture Club started a new partnership with ACLAMO Family Centers by helping the after-school program students with a unique project. The volunteers, led by advisor and Spanish teacher Alicia Alfonso, helped the children write and decorate thank you cards to the 83 living Medal of Honor war veterans. The project was part of a new ACLAMO connection with Comcast Corp. Through its Comcast Cares Day of Service, the Philadelphia-based cable giant is working with the Freedoms Foundation to clean and restore the Medal of Honor Grove at Valley Forge Park. The Radnor students were paired with ACLAMO students and they set about writing the cards, cutting decorations from construction paper and drawing with pencils, crayons and markers. "Many of the letters were really thoughtful, thanking the veterans for their services to the United States as well as talking about their bravery and resilience," said Karolina Wolnicki, president of the Radnor club. "The kids were really insightful."
Click here to read the full story.
For more photos, go to facebook.com/aclamo.
 | | The Radnor High School Culture Club volunteers. |
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ACLAMO Students Build Birdhouses for Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge
As part of a new partnership with Comcast Corp., ACLAMO's students painted 50 birdhouses, which were installed in the Medal of Honor Grove at Valley Forge Park.
On April 30th Comcast celebrated its 10th anniversary of Comcast Cares Day, a nationwide day of service. Through the recommendation of State Senator Andrew Dinniman, the Philadelphia-based corporation partnered with the Freedoms Foundation to clean up the Grove.
The children in our After-School Program painted the birdhouses in bright reds and blues. Also as part of the Comcast project, the students wrote letters to the 83 living veterans who received the Medal of Honor. The projects were arranged by Janet Steiner, Comcast Government Affairs Manager for Philadelphia Suburbs North.
"The project gave the kids the opportunity to be creative," said Marla Benssy, Lead Teacher of the After-School Program. "We tied it in with the letters. It was like they were giving a present to the Medal of Honor recipients through the creativity of the birdhouses."
The birdhouses were hung during the Comcast Cares Day. "The addition of the birdhouses is a wonderful new enhancement to the Grove," said Michael DiYeso, President and CEO of Freedoms Foundation, in a letter to Comcast.
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 | | ACLAMO Executive Director Juan Guerra, left, meets with Vleidmy Velarde-Duffy and Philippe Weisz of HIAS of Philadelphia. |
Agency Offers ACLAMO Clients Legal Aid
This month ACLAMO forged a new partnership to bring free legal consultations and low-cost legal services in Spanish and English to our low-income clients.
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) of Philadelphia is working with ACLAMO, through its Latin Outreach Immigration Services (LOIS) program. Growing from organizations founded in 1881 to assist Jewish migrants arriving at Ellis Island, HIAS has extended its assistance to include all nationalities.
A HIAS accredited representative, Vleidmy Velarde-Duffy, will offer our clients free monthly consultations on immigration issues at our Norristown center. The issues will include domestic violence, deportation, visa renewal and applications, and citizenship requirements and applications. The annual goal is to reach 200 clients, and to offer 75 clients additional comprehensive legal services as needed.
"Like ACLAMO, HIAS started from humble beginnings, and has provided much-needed comfort and aid to new arrivals to this country," said Juan Guerra, executive director of ACLAMO Family Centers. "This tradition continues today. We are very grateful for their assistance."
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Ursinus Tutors Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
A piñata, games, and traditional Mexican treats were all part of the second-annual Cinco de Mayo celebration for our After-School Program students, made possible by volunteers from Ursinus College.
The party also celebrated the vital program that brings more than 40 Ursinus students to tutor our after-school children throughout the year.
The group combined efforts with the campus club ALMA -- Association of Latinos Motivated to Achieve -- to purchase and make the snacks for the party, as well as put together backpacks full of goodies for each of the children.
"I think the party went extremely well," said Liam Marston, the student leader of the Ursinus tutors. "It was so much fun to set up everything for the kids and see how excited they were."
Click here to read the full story.
For more photos, go to facebook.com/aclamo.
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Personal Profile:
Erica Doughtery,
Speech Pathologist
The children in our early childhood education program benefit daily from the help of their ACLAMO teachers and social workers. Sometimes these professionals recognize children who have a special need, something that requires specialized intervention.
Erica Doughtery, a bilingual speech pathologist, is one of those specialists. Dougherty visits a 4-year-old student in the early childhood education program for one hour, once a week, to work on her speech development.
"The idea is to get them as much early intervention as possible, so it gives them a head start to enter kindergarten," said Dougherty, who graduated from Westchester University with a degree in Speech Pathology in 2002.
"The challenge is that for so many of these children the English instruction is just at school," said Doughtery, who learned to speak Spanish when she lived for a year in Venezuela.
Click here to read the full story.
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ACLAMO celebrates its 34th year of providing economic, educational, health and cultural opportunities for low-income residents of Norristown and Pottstown, especially those of Spanish-language heritage.
ACLAMO stands for Accíon Comunal Latinoamericana de Montgomery County, or the Latin American Action Committee of Montgomery County. ACLAMO is derived from the Spanish word "aclamar," which means "to acclaim."
ACLAMO Family Centers ACLAMO Family Centers
512 W. Marshall Street 515 Walnut Street
Norristown, PA 19401 Pottstown, PA 19464
610 277-2570 610-970-2134
www.aclamo.org
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