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ACLAMO Family Centers Newsletter
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Providing our community with the services and skills for success
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May 20121
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Four-year-old Eduardo and his mother, Araceli, at our Faces of Hope Breakfast fundraiser in May. From The Executive Director: I recently saw a prominant television anchor comment on a challenge to American exceptionalism. His response was that our country truly is exceptional; that America is unique in all of history because it is the first country entirely made up of other countries! Not just from one country seeking asylum, but from all around the world seeking hope. He went on to say that our country is built by, for, and of immigrants. How very true! The people who filled the room at our recent fundraising event, Faces of Hope, celebrated that fact, with their presence and support. We are all from different countries and backgrounds. And yet we all recognize what is emblazoned on our national currency and identity: E Pluribus Unum -- out of many, one. That oneness is evident in the people we serve, and those who help us continue those services. Thank you for your continued support. www.aclamo.org |
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ACLAMO Holds its 35th Anniversary Faces of Hope Breakfast
A crowd of over 170 guests listen to moving testimonials at the May fundraiser. May brought forth a bountiful harvest of generosity, with our friends and supporters giving more than $35,000 during our third-annual Faces of Hope fundraiser. Celebrating 35 years of service to the community, ACLAMO held the event at the Elmwood Park Zoo clubhouse in Norristown in May.
An overflow crowd of more than 170 guests attended the breakfast to support the work of ACLAMO, which provides the low-income Latino community of Montgomery County with essential services. ACLAMO's young students sang and performed dances, and a 12-year-old student, Katia Alonzo, gave a moving personal testimonial, as did parent Fila Rivera. Norristown Area School District's Superintendent, Dr. Janet Samuels, delivered a riveting keynote speech which focused on the need for programs like ACLAMO that encourage educational excellence.
Guests also viewed a short presentation describing ACLAMO's work. See it below:
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ACLAMO is grateful for the generous support of all who contributed toward this event. Among them are the Faces of Hope Committee, ACLAMO's staff and families, and the Faces of Hope sponsors: Anthony Party Rentals, EHL Consulting Group, Manpower employment services, Suburban Enterprises, Drivehere.com, National Penn Bank, and photographer, Doerthe Externest.
"We want to acknowledge the assistance of so many who made this day possible," said Juan Guerra, ACLAMO Executive Director. "Especially all our generous sponsors and benefactors who helped make the day such a success!"
Our Even Start preschool-aged students celebrate the day with songs. |
ACLAMO's Annual Health Fair Comes to Norristown 
Fox Chase Cancer Centers lab technicians, Mary Piccolo and Lynn Kolmetzky, assist Margarita Contreras and a client for an annual mammogram.
ACLAMO Family Centers joined with Calvary Baptist Church to hold its annual Health Fair in Norristown. The event highlights a close collaboration with local health partners, among them Montgomery County Hospital, the Maternity Care Coalition, Norristown Regional Health Center and The Montgomery County Health Department, as well as the Fox Chase Cancer Center, which provided fifteen local women with mammograms through their Mobile Mammography Unit.
Community members also had the opportunity to receive free health screenings such as blood pressure tests, and learn more about local health services. Kelly Rominicki, ACLAMO's Family Health Specialist added, "We are grateful to all our health partners in providing families with valuable screenings, and information regarding nutrition and health for their children".
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ACLAMO Sponsors a Forum on Internet Safety for Children 
Amy Charles, associate director of Mission Kids, reads "The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone" during the Internet Safety & Children event at ACLAMO.
Photo by Christine Reckner/Times Herald Staf
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A major concern of many parents today is Internet Safety. In response ACLAMO hosted an event to inform families about how best to protect children while they are surfing the Web. The event was created by a dynamic collaboration with Comcast, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, and Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center.
About 30 families who are part of ACLAMO's After-School program attended the event. They listened to "The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone," a book written by Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman. The book was read by county Assistant District Attorney Jordan Friter, and Amy Charles, Associate Director of the county's Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center. They also explained specific rules of internet safety. Montgomery County Detective Kathy Hart and Brian Jeter, Comcast Senior Director of Government Affairs, also spoke. Among the subjects covered were the benefits of the internet, as well as concerns over issues such as online bullying and social networking sites by children.
"It's very timely and necessary topic for our families, and we are grateful to Comcast , the DA's office, and Mission Kids for their presentation today," said Juan Guerra, ACLAMO Executive Director.
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Personal Profile: Student Katia Alonzo
Twelve-year-old Katia Alonzo shares her story of how ACLAMO improved her life.
Moving to Norristown from Mexico 18 months ago, Katia Alonzo soon became overwhelmed in school because she didn't speak English.
"When I began school, I felt weird because I didn't know anyone, or how to communicate," Katia told the crowd of more than 170 people at ACLAMO's Faces of Hope fundraiser. "I didn't speak a word of English then."
Katia struggled in school, and so her parents enrolled her in ACLAMO's After-School Program, managed by Lead Teacher Marla Benssy. As soon as she began, Katia immersed herself in her homework and worked closely with the staff and tutors. "Miss Marla knew that I didn't speak English so she started me out with simpler words," Katia said during her testimonial at the breakfast. "She was really nice to me. Soon after that I started to feel like I was learning the language."
In school, Katia has been commended by her teachers for her compassion and language skills and her willingness to help newly arrived Spanish-speaking students. Those leadership skills have helped her to thrive academically and socially. Now Katia boasts that she has more friends in Norristown than in her town of Puebla, Mexico! Thanks to what she has learned in ACLAMO, Katia said she now has plans to become a lawyer. With her brother learning to be an international chef, Katia also wants to learn French!
Seeing how well she spoke at the fundraiser gives us great hope that Katia will achieve her dreams. All of us commend her for her courage and determination and wish her continued success.
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ACLAMO celebrates its 35th 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 
aclamo.org |
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