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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 20141
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Eight-year-old Mackenzie and her five-year-old brother,
Christian happily opened their toys at ACLAMO Pottstown's
Tres Reyes Magos Celebration on January 4th.
From The Executive Director:
"Colaboración," the Spanish word for collaboration is such an intrinsic part of ACLAMO that some have said its in our DNA! Since its founding over 37 years ago, ACLAMO has relied on help from others to accomplish so much that we could never hope to do alone. Thanks to the faithful support of so many, over 3,000 people were served in our two locations in Norristown and Pottstown in 2013.
This month we once again share with a sampling of those who partner with us, from United Way to the US Marine Corps Toys-for-Tots Campaign, to Plymouth Meeting Friends School, and to Continental and Wells Fargo Banks - all come together with a common purpose of helping those in our community.
As we enter into the New Year, we are grateful to all those who helped us achieve and surpass our goals in 2013, and look forward to a successful 2014.
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Emily loves her new doll
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Three Kings Celebration in Pottstown
On a cold January morning parents and children assembled at ACLAMO Pottstown for a family tradition known as the Feast of the Tres Reyes Magos. This feast, also known as the Epiphany, commemorates the Three Kings presentation of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the baby Jesus. As a result, many Latin countries mark the day by giving their children gifts on January 6th, rather than on Christmas day.
Our special thanks go again to the local Marine Corps Toys-for-Tots Campaign, Ursinus College, several high schools, and the Montgomery County Department of Human Services for their donation of gifts.
Pottstown Case Manager Wanda Rivera observed, "This season of gift-giving can be difficult for parents on fixed incomes. It's wonderful to see how a toy can brighten the eyes of a child, and offer hope to these families in need."
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UNITED WAY VISITS ACLAMO´S NORRISTOWN LOCATION
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(L-R) Yemele Ayala and Wendy David enjoy a lighthearted moment during their discussions with Juan Guerra, Executive Director
of ACLAMO, and Eduardo Nieto, member of the Board of Directors.
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On January 17th ACLAMO welcomed Yemele Ayala and Wendy David, Associate Vice Presidents of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.
ACLAMO - the very first Latino organization in the Philadelphia area to become a full member of United Way in 1983 - has received financial support through United Way for many years. Currently, ACLAMO is exploring new ways to partner with United Way in order to grow and extend the benefits of our education programs to more children and families. Yemele and Wendy encouraged ACLAMO to increase its capacity to expand programs and to work closely with other agencies to tackle problems faced by the Latino community. "Targeted investments" of time and money, careful long-term planning, and collaboration were emphasized.
"We greatly appreciate the time that Yemele and Wendy invested in meeting with us," Juan Guerra stated. "They gave us valuable advice and counsel that will help us greatly as we move ahead with our planning."
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PLYMOUTH MEETING FRIENDS SCHOOL
FIFTH GRADERS AND MEXICAN CULTURE
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Fifth graders visit ACLAMO to share school lunches
and to learn what it is like to adjust to the USA.
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Plymouth Meeting Friends School has a long tradition of enhancing the education of its students by providing contacts with a variety of cultures, including that of Mexico.
When fifth grade teacher Leann Stover Nyce was preparing her class to host children visiting from Mexico as a part of an exchange program, it was a natural step to enlist the help of families with Mexican roots who participate in ACLAMO´s Family Literacy Program.
The result was a visit by the fifth graders to ACLAMO for an informative question and answer session about the experience of adjusting from the Mexican culture to the culture found in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Following the meeting, both the ACLAMO parents and the fifth graders reflected on the experience. The parents were most interested in the fact that the students wanted to learn about their experiences.
Several fifth graders' comments reflected the students´ reactions. Jaden wrote, "We asked them what we should do to make our buddies visiting from Mexico feel at home." Branon added, "I don´t think I could speak Spanish that good ... ever!" In summary, Owen shared, "It was a very fun trip!"
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CONTINENTAL BANK AND WELLS FARGO BANK CONTINUE THEIR TRADITION OF SUPPORTING LATINO FAMILIES
 | | (L-R): Guido Martinelli, Continental Bank Foundation Secretary; Linda Maldonado, Director of ACLAMO's Family Literacy Program; Fran Fusco, Continental Bank Foundation President; and Juan Guerra, ACLAMO Executive Director, celebrate the bank's donation. |
ACLAMO Family Centers counts many area financial institutions among its faithful supporters. In December, two banks made important contributions:
The Continental Bank Foundation donated $1,000 to help support ACLAMO´s Family Literacy Program, which provides parents and children with crucial academic, intellectual, social and self-help skills.
"Through the help of organizations like the Continental Bank Foundation, we are able to help our students of all ages prepare themselves for the next step in their lives," said Juan I. Guerra, ACLAMO Executive Director. "We are very proud of the children and parents who graduate from our program because we know they have the skills to make a better life for themselves and their families."
Wells Fargo Bank stepped up to help with ACLAMO´s recent holiday distribution of toys for disadvantaged children in Norristown. ACLAMO Board member Juan Gonzalez and his wife, Christina, attended the event and presented the bank´s check in the amount of $1,000.
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Personal Profile: Joe Leaf
COORDINATOR OF ESL PROGRAM IN NORRISTOWN
BEARS WITNESS TO CHANGING IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS
In the early 1980s when Joe Leaf began working with English as a Second Language in the Norristown Area School District, he was already familiar with languages and knew Latin America first-hand.
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Joe stands beneath maps of two countries dear to his heart.
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A French major in college, Joe had no particular interest in teaching. But after graduation, an uncle in religious life arranged for him to live for 18 months with a family in Argentina. During some of that time, he was an English instructor and discovered how much he enjoyed teaching.
On his way back to the USA, Joe traveled through rural northwestern Argentina, crossed the Andes, and trekked through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. By that time, he found himself in love with the people of Latin America, with Spanish, and also with teaching. Moreover, he had come to appreciate the rich variety of cultures shared by many of those coming to the United States. The rest, so to speak, is history.
When Joe began work with ESL in the Norristown schools, the largest group of English language learners were the children from Asian countries, especially refugees from the Vietnam War. Most Latinos in the school district at that time were children of people coming from Puerto Rico. Today, the children comprising the largest group served by Leaf´s ESL Program were born in the United States, but their parents mostly come from Mexico and countries in Central America. "Overall, 31% of our elementary students are Latinos," Joe reflects, "and over 50% of the children attending Gotwals Elementary School are Latino."
"ACLAMO supports Latino children in the school district through its Family Literacy and After-School Programs, and through its Summer Bridge Program," Leaf continues. "ACLAMO is the premier agency working with Latinos in Norristown and I should know - I have worked with ACLAMO for over 30 years!"
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ACLAMO celebrates its 37th 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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