La Esperanza Community Center 216 North Race Street Georgetown, DE 19947 302-854-9262 www.laesperanza.

a.org 3rd Quarter Volume 1, Issue 2 In this issue:

2013 Family Festival The Victims Department Moves Out Sharpening Our Skills: Trainings Updates from the PASA Program And Were Live on the Air Our Executive Director in New Orleans Surprise Times Two! Whats New in the Outreach Program? A Success Story: Rony Lopez Citizenship Courses Kick Off Again! A Visit from the Attorney General You All Get a Van! Dinner with Chicks for Charity A Note from the Executive Director

www.facebook.com/LaEsperanza.Inc
La Esperanza supports the integration and empowerment of Latino immigrants as productive and contributing residents of Sussex County, Delaware.

La Esperanza held its 2nd Annual Family Festival at Georgetowns Bedford Park on Saturday, June 22, 2013. During the event, people gathered from all across Sussex County to celebrate a day filled with fun for our community and their families. There were two live music performances including one by a local band titled: Pega Pega Tropical. Board member Peg Hertrich spent some time getting soaked at the dunking booth while i.g. Burton, Mary Kay, Parent Information Center and Girls, Inc. of Delaware were providing information and products about their organizations and services. Children were at the moon bounces got a snow cone or two. Hispanic radio hosts from Maxima 900 were live playing music and promoting the event. What was the best part? La Esperanza staff member Kelley Tindle and founder Sister Rosa dancing away with our friend, the clown (portrayed by Fernando Ramirez).
Top: Some of La Esperanzas staff pose for a photo from left to right: Ethel Sayles, Kelley Tindle, Anita Costales, Monserrat Celayos, Sister Ascension Banegas, Mayra Cruz, Marcela Morillo, Deysy Ojeda and Sister Rosa Alvarez.

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If you thought La Esperanza was getting rid of its victim services department, think again! . . . Although, you were not totally off. However, as an agency we have greatly grown in number recently so La Esperanza is happy to announce that some of its staff will be relocating to a new facility just down the street from the main office. Our victim immigration attorney, mental health therapist and two victim advocates will now be seeing clients in a new environment that is sure to provide more safety, security, and confidentially for victims of crime and abuse. They will also be receiving more assistance with the addition of a new member to the team: a victim immigration assistant that will help with the initial intake of the clients as well as support the staff to accommodate our clients needs. And the feeling of excitement is unanimous as confirmed by victim advocate, Monserrat Celayos: I am very excited to be moving into the new building. I believe this is a very positive move for the Victims Department as a whole. Clients we serve will be positively impacted and it will also be a place for them to feel secure as we work on policies to ensure our clients safety. For more information about the new building or to contact the victim services department directly, please refer to the information below.
Top right: La Esperanzas main office. Bottom right: The new victims department building located on North Race Street. Contact Claudia Pea Porretti for further information via email at cporretti@laesperanza.org. Victim Services Department Information: Telephone: (302) 858-4215 Fax number: (302) 858-4217

Staff at La Esperanza has been keeping busy and sharpening their skills through different trainings, conferences and seminars that have been held throughout the year. In May the victim services department traveled to Rehoboth Beach for a two-day training hosted by the Delaware Coalition against Domestic Violence. Several staff members also went to Providence, Rhode Island for further conferences and training on sexual assault abuse. In July, Marcela Morillo flew to the National Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention training in Chicago, Illinois and most recently, Adrian and Anita from the prevention program attended some workshops at the 2013 Summer Institute in northern Delaware. The trainings have benefitted the staff in serving clients more efficiently and in new ways. They received new information to pass along and share with other employees at La Esperanza and they havent stopped there. There are more trainings scheduled for the remainder of 2013 which means more challenges, more work, but more importantly more knowledge.
From the Victim Services Department, Monserrat Celayos (right) and Jess Santana (bottom) both attend a victims advocacy retreat in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

SIDE NOTE:

The Importance of Trainings & Conferences

Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees. The investment in training shows the employees they are valued.
Shelley Frost

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Adrian Giorgi and Anita Costales are hard at work promoting the new PASA program as an outreach effort for their prevention program. The prevention specialists now have a core group consisting of ten youths, along with the support of their parents, to begin building foundations for the future of the program. But the group is not alone anymore! Nyisha Williams has now come on board as PASAs Program Manager. Nyisha will be overseeing the groups projects, activities and will be collaborating with the prevention specialists to make the PASA program even stronger. In July, Adrian, Anita, Maria Porras and a volunteer parent chaperoned a group of fifteen adolescents as they took a wildlife field trip to Assateague Island. The group was also able to come together for the Delaware Teen Idol event which was held in Dover this year. Participants were asked to showcase their talents while relating their audition to one of five topics: HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy prevention, fatherhood involvement, violence prevention, mental health or substance abuse prevention.
Top right: PASA Youth group meeting with staff members from the Delaware Prevention Coalition. Bottom right: The PASA Youth group at Assateague Island on a nature and wildlife tour as an activity providing an alternative to alcohol and substance abuse.

Above: Anita Costales and Christopher Fillat accompanied by Maxima900s staff members.

Above: Claudia Porretti with other Delaware Latino advocates at the NCLR Annual Conference.

During the month of July, Anita Costales and Chris Fillat had the opportunity to visit radio stations La Existosa and Maxima900. At La Exitosa, the focus was on La Esperanzas PASA youth program and the goals for the younger generation. Although the . information presented at Maxima 900 was the same, the attention shifted to focus on the legal aspects of driving while the under influence of substance/alcohol, as well as immigration issues. Both interviews were geared at informing the Latino community of the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse as part of La Esperanzas prevention initiative.

La Esperanzas executive director, Claudia Pea Porretti, traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana from July 19th through July 24th for the NCLR Annual Conference. Among the panelists and speakers that were present were First Lady Michelle Obama, TV personality Maria Celeste Arraras and actress and activist Eva Longoria. The NCLR Conference offered workshops that shed light on the needs of the Hispanic community and advanced their mission, which is to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans through three values: excellence, respect and accountability. Topics discussed included immigration, education, health and community empowerment. The conference week ended with the NCLR Annual Awards Gala which honors members and/or contributors of or to the Latino community.

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Our education coordinator, Kelley Tindle, received a pleasant surprise from not one, but two of her ESL classes at the end of each course. As Kelley was preparing to hand out certificates to students, they were preparing a small party to celebrate completion of the courses as well as to thank Miss Kelley for her efforts. Kelley said that she knew that the morning class was preparing something because she had been involved in the planning but it was a surprise to her to have something presented by her evening class. But of course, its not just all fun in Kelleys English classes or maybe it is. She continues to make the classes as interactive as possible with individual, partner and group participations, and despite the challenges that may arise due to the language learning process, Kelley says, I always try to make a joke or two, which definitely keeps the classes lighthearted and comfortable for the students. Kelley has a third level English class as well as a second level computer literacy class. They start in mid-September and continue for sixteen weeks. For more information, please contact Kelley Tindle, education coordinator, at (302) 854-9262 or via email at ktindle@laesperanza.org.
Top right photo: Students from Kelleys evening class serving the food they prepared for the end of the course celebration. Bottom right photo: Students from the evening English course pose for the camera and proudly display their certificates.

For our outreach coordinator, Marcela Morillo, the summer of 2013 has been anything but calm. With health fairs, poultry plants and other organizations wanting La Esperanza to provide information and materials about our programs and services one wonders: where does Marcela find the time to do it all? It is not easy, but she knows the outreach has to be done and she enjoys educating the community. As our executive director once said to describe the success of the outreach program, Where theres a health fair, Marcela is there. And another place where Marcela was this past July was Chicago, Illinois. She had the opportunity to attend the National Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Training where she gathered with community action members, state and local policy makers, graduate students, and other folks interested in learning about the dangers of lead poisoning as well as the ways to prevent it. Marcela has also attended workshops for home visiting, care coordinator and referrals as a focus for La Esperanzas healthy homes program. Congratulations, Marcela, on becoming a certified Healthy Homes Specialist!
Top left: From left to right, Kelley Tindle, Christopher Fillat, Claudia Pea Porretti, and Adrian Giorgi. Bottom left: Photo from the 19th Annual Hispanic Festival held in Millsboro, Delaware.

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Above: Rony Lopez, proudly displaying his U.S. citizenship certificate for the world to see.

Becoming a U.S. citizen is a hopeful aspiration for many immigrants. For Rony Lopez, of Lincoln, Delaware, this dream became a reality on May 2, 2013. Rony had prepared himself by taking the citizenship course offered at La Esperanza. He knew he was ready to take the exam as he walked into the examination room, but he could not help but feel nervous. As he was answering each question, he wondered, Will I pass the test? One question after another and soon he was done. Soon, officials gave Rony the news that he had successfully passed the examination and his nervousness went awat and he was immediately filled with overwhelming excitement and joy. The next step was more important: Rony traveled to Wilmington where 80 to 100 successful applicants were waiting for their opportunity to be sworn in as U.S. citizens. He said the experience felt strange to him at first because his permanent residency card, commonly called a green card, was taken from him. It felt strange to no longer be a resident but a citizen as his certificate was handed to him. Rony visited La Esperanza with his certificate to give the current citizenship students encouragement and to talk about of the benefits of becoming a citizen. Now Rony has another message for the rest of the immigrant community that hopes for immigration reform: Keep fighting, do what is right in the eyes of the law, learn English, and educate yourselves as much as possible about the USA, so when immigration reform comes around, you too, can qualify.

After a brief hiatus, the citizenship courses at La Esperanza are up and running once again. Al Potter, citizenship instructor, was eager to begin a new cycle of classes and it shows. Al is always well prepared to teach the history and civics of the United States. Topics that are covered during these classes include: the pilgrimage of European settlers, the American Revolution, the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil War and slavery, the Great Depression, both World Wars, U.S. presidents, and the current formation of the U.S. government, among others. Each week students come to learn and to improve their reading, writing and communication skills all to prepare for their citizenship exam. They also receive weekly homework assignments. One of the students commented on her own experience. Sometimes I do not want to come to class because it is difficult at times, but my children push me and say, Mommy, you have to do this. No one else, not even us, will do it for you. Then I realized that my children are right. It is about time I took the citizenship classes and make myself a U.S. Citizen. The students are also provided with up-to-date information on national and international news and are given photographs and newspaper clippings to help them get further help from outside sources. Once the classes finish, though, Al does not want them to stop learning. He says, Schedule your citizenship interview as soon as possible but keep up with everything and continue studying. Otherwise, youll forget everything youve learned.

Above: Al Potter (center) with two students, Maria (left) and Alicia (right), from the citizenship course.

La Esperanzas Programs & Services

Family Development Outreach PASA Youth Program Pre & Post-Natal Care Immigration Services Victim Services Education Program

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

For the latest events and announcements, please visit our website at: www.laesperanza.org or our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/LaEsperanza.Inc.

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Above: Attorney General Beau Biden speaking during the press conference held at La Esperanza.

La Esperanza received a visit from state Attorney General, Beau Biden, on June 12, 2013. He organized a press conference to discuss the importance of working together with community agencies, such as La Esperanza, to provide the community with the necessary resources needed to report scams and frauds, which have been on the rise lately especially within the Hispanic community. Among others that were also present were George Camacho of Troop 4 and Jose Ortiz the Chief Investigator win the Consumer Protection Unit. There was also media coverage including that of WBOC 16, WMDT 47, Maxima 900, and the Spanish newspaper HOY En Delaware.

Above: Two of the three vans purchased from i.g. Burton

Well, not everyone gets a van but, La Esperanza did receive $63,000 from a Longwood Foundation grant to support three of our programs the Family Development program, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program, and PASA Youth program. The generous grant was used to purchase three 2013 Dodge Caravan vans, which were purchased from i.g. Burton in Milford. The new vans will significantly increase transportation services for clients who are participants of each program. Since 1996, La Esperanza has been providing programs and services to meet the needs of Latino immigrants residing in Sussex County and the surrounding are, serving approximately 10,000 adults, children, and families each year.

On June 18, 2013 La Esperanza had the opportunity to attend a charity event that was organized by Chicks for Charity of Southern Delaware. The event featured a night of dinner followed by a raffle of donated items with proceeds going to La Esperanzas domestic violence program. Claudia Pea Porretti spoke about the programs and services offered at La Esperanza and informed dinner guests about the dangers that our clients are facing as well as the success stories that have come as a result of the help they receive. The event was held at Fish-On Restaurant in Lewes, Delaware. Other community leaders and supporters present were La Esperanzas board president Matt Haley, Peg Hertrich and Margaret Reyes.Chicks for Charity of Southern Delaware was established in the city of Lewes, Delaware and is dedicated to assisting the less fortunate. For more information on Chicks for Charity, please visit their website at www.chicksforcharity.us.
Top: From right to left, Maria Porras, Marcela Morillo, Chris Fillat, and Ethel Sayles. Bottom left photo: Sister Rosa Alvarez. Bottom right photo: Sister Ascension Banegas and Neda Biggs.

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It all starts with you! Our Staff Members

Claudia Pea Porretti Maureen Horton Gross Deysy Ojeda Maria Porras Sister Rosa Alvarez Sister Ascensin Banegas Christopher A. Fillat Neda Biggs Ethel Sayles Jess Santana Monserrat Celayos Mayra L. Cruz Kelley Tindle Marcela Morillo Nyisha Williams Anita Costales
There are as many ways to support La Esperanza as there are ways to give. We all have a success story that we have shared. Without your support and the support of Sussex County and Delaware communities, we could not touch so many who now have their own success stories. Working together, we can reach thousands who will transform themselves, their communities, and the State of Delaware for the better. You can help us achieve our mission by making a financial contribution to support our services or by volunteering your time.

Donations
Give online today at www.laesperanza.org and help us provide the ongoing support needed to help Latino adults, children, youth, and families living in Sussex County.

Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering at La Esperanza is a rewarding experience. We offer numerous ways for you to get involved and help make a difference in the lives of Sussex County Latino families and communities. For more information about giving opportunities, please contact Claudia Pea Porretti via email at cporretti@laesperanza.org or by calling (302) 854-9262.

La Esperanzas Board of Directors

Matthew Haley, President Charles Burton, Vice-President Randall Kunkle, Treasurer Sr. Maria Mairlot, Secretary Joel Diaz Dr. Ileana Smith Eugene S. Dvornick, Jr. Randy McCreary Peg Hertrich

A Note from the Executive Director

Our logo includes a sun, which represents a new beginning for people coming to a new land, a new beginning for Latino immigrants arriving to Sussex County with hope (esperanza) for a new life. Even though the sun sets earlier now, La Esperanza continues to shine brightly each day. This year, with the help of individuals like you, we have been able to clearly see the bright possibilities for La Esperanzas future. In 2013, we have been able to grow, thereby strengthening our programs and services that we provide to the Sussex County Hispanic communities. Through our P.A.S.A. (Prevent Alcohol and Substance Abuse) Youth Program, our Latino youth spend their afternoons engaged in meaningful activities that help them combat the use of alcohol or drugs. Through our Victims Services Program, our victim clients feel empowered and secure in a new location designated solely for their safety. Through our Healthy Homes program that is a part of our Family Development program, our Latino families are learning about the dangers of toxins and hazardous materials and chemicals in their homes. Through our Education program, our adult students are learning English and computer skills to help them become more productive in their communities. And lastly, through our Immigration Program, our Latino immigrant clients receive a broad range of legal services to help them attain permanent status and eventual United States citizenship. As an agency, the growth was essential to provide our core services and programs. As a community, the growth was necessary to assist the 16,000 Latino immigrants living in Sussex County and the surrounding areas. As a state, the growth was mandatory to support the many Latino immigrants who continue to migrate to Sussex County and call Delaware home. Alas, with growth comes the need for more funding. La Esperanza needs the vital financial support of other agencies, Delaware communities, and the state if we are to continue to support the Latino Sussex County communities. Specifically, we need essential funding to support our day-to-day operations. Through agency, community, and state collaborative efforts, we believe we can sustain our muchneeded programs and services. As a society, it is imperative that we come together to discuss ways to financially support La Esperanza and the work we do to provide our clients with a bright, hopeful future.

Building Bridges for Community Integration 216 North Race Street Georgetown, DE 19947