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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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January 20131
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Four-year-old ACLAMO student, Jonathan proudly shares his "Grinch" creation
From The Executive Director:
Dear friends, in reflecting on the events of 2012, I ask that you take a moment to review what your support at ACLAMO has helped accomplish. Here are just a number of milestones. Over the last year, we saw a significant expansion of enrollment in our Family
Literacy, After School, and Summer Bridge programs, with an average of 100 children and adult education students served daily.
Among our many benefactors, we were blessed with
support from the Philadelphia, Arcadia, Comcast, Emerson, and the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness, and the Karabots Foundations. We also received financial assistance from the United Way, The Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board, and the Office of Aging and Adult Services.
Our support included funding from PNC, National Penn, First Niagara, and Citizens Banks, and assistance from several churches including American Baptist Churches, Plymouth Meeting Friends, and Victory Christian Fellowship. Civic organizations supporting ACLAMO included the King of Prussia and Upper Main Line Rotary Clubs, and the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.
As in previous years, we received donations and volunteer support from elementary schools, high schools and colleges. Tutoring, special events, and educational support came from Bryn Mawr, West Chester, Ursinus, Cabrini, Haverford, and Eastern Universities. Additional support came from Radnor, Jenkintown, Upper Merion, Wissahickon, Methacton, and Norristown High Schools, with additional support from Wayne Elementary and the Plymouth Meeting Friends School.
"Conexiones por Salud", our health and wellness programs, helped low income residents in Norristown and Pottstown who might otherwise not have been able to access essential services. ACLAMO's bilingual case managers helped hundreds of at-risk children secure health insurance coverage, primary care and linkage to a medical facility-helping to avoid costly and unnecessary emergency room care.
In addition, ACLAMO worked with Fox Chase Cancer Center, the Montgomery County Department of Health
and over a dozen community partners to offer health fairs in Norristown and Pottstown that provided breast cancer screening, flu shots, blood pressure and lead poisoning screening, child car seat education and distribution. Free dental cleaning and X-ray screenings were provided in partnership with Carp Dental Associates, and internet safety lessons were given to children and families through Mission Kids and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
Our children and families participated in educational field trips to Maple Acres Farms and Linvilla Orchards, the Elmwood Park and the Philadelphia Zoos, the Camden Aquarium, the Franklin Institute, the Museum of Natural History, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These trips are an important part of our educational programs and contribute to our students' kindergarten readiness and school achievement.
Our social services department has helped hundreds of residents seeking assistance in immigration, housing, health, employment and many other areas of need. Our families are eager to pursue success for themselves and their children and often they look to ACLAMO in their efforts to achieve their "American Dream".
Lastly, our community activities such as our annual Thanksgiving Drive, Marine Corps Toys for Tots Christmas Fiesta in Norristown, and our Pottstown Tres Reyes Magos, Three Kings Day, party drew over 1,000 people. Many of you helped us gather and distribute holiday cheer to families struggling over these festive seasons.
Yes, it has been an extraordinary year! Perhaps the most amazing part of it is that we were able to do all this despite limited resources, limited staff, plumbing problems, and unforeseen medical leaves.
I am so grateful to our dedicated staff, our wonderful Board of Directors (see this month's stories), our children and families who are so committed to full participation in our programs, and all of you who helped ACLAMO - not just to survive, but to expand and thrive during these challenging times. We could not have done it without you!
We trust that throughout 2013, we can count on your continued support. MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS!
-Juan I. Guerra |
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Three Kings Fiesta in Pottstown
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Three year old Kevin and his five year old brother Daniel Reinoso receive gifts at the Tres Reyes Magos Fiesta in Pottstown |
On Saturday, January 5th, ACLAMO Pottstown celebrated the Feast of the Tres Reyes Magos by distributing toys to local families. This day honors the feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings who presented the Christ child with gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. As a result, many Latin countries mark the day by giving children gifts in early January rather than on Christmas day.
As with last month's Norristown Fiesta, the toys had been donated by the local Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign, as well as Ursinus College, Bryn Mawr College, several high schools and the Montgomery County Human Services community.
Pottstown case manager, Wanda Rivera observed that families from as far away as Norristown and Bridgeport attended. "The economic situation has proved difficult for families, said Rivera, "This tradition offers a them glimpse of hope by enabling them to give a gift to their children".
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Partnership with Plymouth Meeting Friends School
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Plymouth Meeting Friends teacher, Will Starr works with 4 year-old Jessica |
As a part of the study of Spanish and the Mexican culture, students from Plymouth Meeting Friends School have been coming to visit the children at ACLAMO's pre-kindergarten education program over the last year.
Fourth grade teacher, Will Star has been taking his class to visit ACLAMO preschoolers for some music-making, dancing, yoga stretches, interactive puzzle-making, and even juggling, something that left the ACLAMO youngsters spellbound.
ACLAMO families have also visited the Friends school . The ACLAMO mothers use the visit to practice English conversation with the school's parents, while their children shared in the Friends preschool program. "These partnerships not only help families educationally, but encourage goodwill and mutual understanding within our greater community", said teacher, Linda Maldonado.
A positive fruit of this exchange came about this past week. Just before Christmas, the Rodreguez family lost the entire contents of their apartment due to an electrical fire. The Plymouth Meeting Friends Parent's Association responded with brand new household items for the family. "We don't know what we would have done without their help, we are so grateful", responded Mrs. Rodriguez.
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ACLAMO BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS FOR TRAINING
While the success of ACLAMO is due primarily to the work of our employees, volunteers, and to the commitment and efforts of our client families, the members of the Board of Directors are also key players in the legal, organizational and financial well being of ACLAMO. This New Year, Board members set aside time to evaluate themselves and ACLAMO.
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Pictured left to right, Director Guerra, Don Cheetham, Eduardo Nieto, Sharon McMichael, Justin Fink and Esther Wiesner. |
The Board review and training was organized by our Executive Director Juan Guerra and Board Chair Eduardo Nieto and was funded by a grant from the Philadelphia Foundation. Esther Wiesner, a consultant with EHL Consulting Group, led the training, joined by ACLAMO Assistant Director Justin Fink. Dr. Fink will continue leading this discussion during portions of subsequent meetings of the Board.
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After-School Students Learn About Keeping Water Clean
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Philadelphia Water Department Educator Dottie Baumgarten speaks to the after-school students.
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ACLAMO's educational
program emphasizes a
curriculum in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics otherwise known as STEM. In the exploration of science, a representative of the Philadelphia Water Company came to speak to the children.
Many people, especially those from countries where public water is contaminated, often don't understand that the water coming out of their faucets is clean and safe to drink, how it is produced, or what they can do to help keep it that way.
"The rain washes down the land and goes into the river. We are getting the message out that we must keep the land clean to help protect our drinking water," said Dottie Baumgarten, a Philadelphia Water Department educator who gave the presentation.
"I was thrilled to speak to the children at ACLAMO," she said. "Because I think that if I can get the information out to the children, they can get it out to the adults."
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Personal Profile: Dr. Gail Rodgers
Dr. Gail Rodgers is Vice President of ACLAMO´s Board of Directors and is chair of the Board Development Committee. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University School of Medicine and became a Specialist in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at St. Christopher´s Hospital in Philadelphia.
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Dr. Gail Rodgers |
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gail has always been committed to Latin America. She has traveled extensively as head of the scientific team working on vaccines in Latin America for Pfizer, Inc. Currently she is a medical consultant specializing in Latin American medical issues. She also participated in nine yearly missions to Nicaragua as a medical volunteer for the international charitable organization, Operation Smile.
Gail and her husband live in Philadelphia, where she enjoys involvement in many activities, including one of her specialties - cooking Puerto Rican dishes. Her favorite Puerto Rican specialty is pernil, rice with beans and tostones!
We are grateful to Gail for her untiring dedication toward ACLAMO and are blessed by her enthusiasm, creativity and dedication.
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ACLAMO celebrates its 36th 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 Latin American Action 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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