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From the Executive Director
June is my favorite month at ACLAMO because it culminates with our annual Even Start Program graduation ceremony. This year marked our 11th graduating class of mothers and young students who completed a year-long intensive Family Literacy education program. What a wonderfully inspiring day it was! To view this special event, please see the following links: facebook.com/aclamo, timesherald.com,
norristown.patch.com, and in Spanish at lavozpa.com.
Our gratitude goes to all who made this year's graduation unique and inspiring; the children, mothers, teachers, staff and volunteers. We are also grateful to Carlos Giralt-Cabrales, the Consul General of Mexico in Philadelphia, who was our guest speaker at this year's ceremony.
One of our excellent Even Start teachers, Linda Maldonado, is our feature newsletter profile this month. Also please read about our second-annual outing to the Philadelphia Phillies game, made possible through the generosity of star pitcher, J.C. Romero, a native of Puerto Rico. Go Phillies!
On a per sonal note, the end of our fiscal year is always difficult financial time for ACLAMO. Please consider partnering with us by donating a gift. Thank you!
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Even Start Children, Mothers Celebrate Education in Graduation Ceremony
Dressed in the elegant, colorful costumes of their Mexican ancestors, the 20 ACLAMO Family Centers preschool students danced and sang, in English and Spanish, during a promotion ceremony to celebrate their many accomplishments this year.
Joining them in the honor of graduation were their mothers, who studied simultaneously in ACLAMO's Even Start Family Literacy Program, learning English, computer, life and parenting skills.
More than 100 people attended the celebration, held June 9 at the Calvary Baptist Church on West Marshall Street, a few short blocks from ACLAMO's Norristown center.
Carlos Giralt-Cabrales, the Consul General of Mexico, spoke before he helped give graduation certificates to each mother and child.
"Education is one of the greatest assets in any community and we should commit to keep educating our children and ourselves," Giralt-Cabrales said during his address of encouragement and congratulations to the students. "There is no other way to break the circle of poverty than education."
Click here to read the full story.
Click here for more photos at facebook.com/aclamo.
   
 | Many thanks to Carlos Giralt-Cabrales, the Consul General of Mexico, pictured on the left of ACLAMO Executive Director Juan Guerra. The Consul General was a featured speaker at the ceremony, and also helped distribute the diplomas.
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Personal Profile: Linda Maldonado Like the mothers of the children she teaches, Linda Maldonado's mother is an immigrant who struggled to learn English and to get her children an excellent education. Linda is now the Lead Teacher of ACLAMO's Even Start early childhood education program. For the past seven years she has created and taught the innovative, bilingual program to get preschoolers ready for kindergarten. Like her, they are from low-income families whose first language is Spanish. "I'm interested in working with Latinos because education has made all the difference in my life," Linda said. "Many good teachers along the way inspired and encouraged me - I hope to do the same with our children." Linda was born in West Philadelphia. "My mom was a single parent," Linda said. "She had three years of formal education in Puerto Rico where she worked as a picker at a coffee plantation." Click here to read the full story. |
ACLAMO Families Attend Phillies Game as Guests of Star Pitcher J.C. Romero 
For the second year in a row, ACLAMO students and their families celebrated the beginning of summer with the Philadelphia Phillies as guests of star pitcher Juan Carlos Romero, who donated 25 tickets for a game against the Chicago Cubs. Dubbed "Romero's Rookies," the ACLAMO children, parents and staff were given matching black t-shirts and additional tickets for sodas and hot dogs as part of the event. They were invited to the pre-game warm-up, when Romero and other players asked questions, posed for photos and gave autographs. Romero, a native of Puerto Rico, was "so nice and approachable," said Lourdes Hernandez, ACLAMO office manager. "Especially for the kids. He smiled and laughed. He talked to each one of them." Two teenaged boys who play baseball for their school teams were part of the ACLAMO group. "This was the first time they attended a Phillies game," Hernandez said. "It was a great experience for them." The event was put together by Kenny Johnson, Fan Development and Outreach Coordinator, and reflects a growing collaboration between ACLAMO and the Philadelphia Phillies. "We are so grateful to Ken and the Phillies for their generous outreach to the community, and look forward to our continued partnership", said Juan Guerra, ACLAMO's Executive Director. Click here for more photos at facebook.com/aclamo. 
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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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