A Note from John

Dear friends of Hogar,

With the culmination of Lent and the celebration of Easter this past week, I feel the need to share a portion of Bishop Loverde’s Easter Letter that I thought was particularly relevant to the work we do here in Falls Church and out in Leesburg every day.  It is about the gift of “joyful, enduring hope” that we receive each year at Easter.  Bishop Loverde attributes this quote to Father Bede Jarrett:

Thus, Easter not only helps us yearly to hope again, but further lays on us the obligation to hope.  This is not only a counsel, but a command; for hope is a virtue that must be practiced by all Christians… there is no cause so desperate, no defeat so apparently crushing, no condition so hopeless, to which, if God wills, triumph will not come.”

I know that so many of our clients and students believe this deeply.  It is what carries them through separation from family, incarceration, and dark days of unemployment, poverty, or discrimination.  I hope that you too realize that, despite the enormity of the need or the injustice of “the system”, what unites  us all—employees, volunteers, donors—is an underlying hope in a better future for those we serve.

So, as April showers (and tornados!) give way to May flowers and warmer weather, I wish you all the gift of hope.  And I thank you on behalf of  the staff here at Hogar for your continued support of the work that we do.

John.

• We will be holding another teacher training in May.  It is specifically for Citizenship teachers.  It will be held Saturday, May 21st from 10am-12pm.  Please talk to your coordinator, Krupskaya Elliott (kelliott@ccda.net) or Danny Quinn (dquinn@ccda.net), to sign up.  All teachers are welcome to attend, though, if they have interest!
• There will be no classes on Monday, May 30th in observance of Memorial Day.

This month, Hogar would like to highlight one of our most dedicated volunteers, Scott Hamlin!  Scott has been volunteering with us since April of 2010.  This semester is her fourth semester teaching the Low Intermediate class at our Falls Church site.  She always comes in to teach with a bright smile on her face. She is deeply committed to not only teaching English to her students, but also getting to know each and every one of them and helping them achieve their goals.  Scott works as a nurse and in her free time, she loves to travel and learn more about other cultures.  We sat down with Scott and asked her a few questions about her volunteer experience here at Hogar:    

Why did you decide to start volunteering at Hogar?

It’s something I’ve always been interested in doing.  My interest peaked when I moved into my new home and got it totally renovated.  The contractor was from Brazil, and I remember him telling me how he felt that everyone in the United States treated him like he was stupid because of his lack of English skills.  I also remember his whole team and how none of them could speak much English at all.  I could see how powerless people who can’t speak or express themselves are, and I wanted to do something about it.  I also personally have experienced this feeling of powerlessness, as I have lived abroad in the Czech Republic and Qatar and didn’t speak the native language of either of these two countries.  I remember even something seemingly so simple, like going to the grocery store, was so overwhelming and intimidating for me.  So I know what it’s like to feel always dependent on someone else to communicate for you or always having to have someone else around to do anything for you.  I wanted to help empower these people.  I found out about Hogar and this volunteer experience through a friend of mine, who was a previous volunteer ESL teacher at Hogar. Even to this day, I thank her for introducing me to this wonderful opportunity. 

How has your volunteer experience changed since when you first began with Hogar?

It’s completely different!  Teaching ESL was a step into the unknown for me.  I have teaching experience, but never in ESL.  I also have good people skills, and so I knew that I could interact well with the students.  But when I first started, I wasn’t sure I could effectively teach them anything.  Now I’m more comfortable teaching and I also recognize the importance of building community in the classroom and having the students become friends.  Being able to make a difference in my students’ lives is the “psychological paycheck” for me.  I’ve noticed that not all Americans treat our students well and many of our students are not living out “the American dream” here, as they had wished.  By teaching, I want them to know that there are people out there who are thrilled to have them here.  They will eventually represent the majority of the population in this country, and because of that, it’s very important that they’re well-rounded individuals who can speak English and have the tools necessary to make good decisions in this country for themselves and their families.

Since starting at Hogar, you have been teaching Hogar’s Intermediate 1 class.  Can you tell us a little more about what a typical class of yours looks like? 

Besides working out of the book, I like to incorporate music into every class.  I play a song and give students the lyrics and we go over the meaning of the song lyrics.  I try to pick a song that fits well with what we’re learning in class that day.  For example, I always play Elvis’ “In the Ghetto” when we talk about adjectives in the book, as that song is full of adjectives that paint such a vivid picture for the students. 

What are the most rewarding aspects of volunteering at Hogar for you?

Getting to know the students and seeing them progress.  They’re all individuals that really have what it takes to go on to the next step in their lives and to achieve their goals, and I’d like to see them do so.  The staff is always so supportive as well, which really helps make this volunteer experience so great for me. 

Social Services Update

During the month of April, the Western Regional Office played Easter Bunny to many children within Loudoun County.  The office distributed a total of 76 Easter baskets to children throughout the county who were identified as deserving by our office as well as by Loudoun Cares.

This effort was only made possible because of the generous donations from several local parishes.  Among these were Our Lady of Hope, St. Johns & St. Mary's.  The office also received easter basket donations from a Brownie Troop & a private donor.

Thanks to all those who participated in Easter Basket distribution 2011!

April's Vignette

For this month’s vignette, we’d like to honor all of our students and clients. They come to us for various reasons but their main aspirations are very similar in that they want to better their lives here in the U.S. Regardless of their country of origin and reasons for coming here, they all share similar personal characteristics in that they work incredibly hard to achieve their goals and dreams. No matter what hardships they have endured (and sometimes continue to endure) they show up for English or Citizenship classes and struggle to get through the jungle that is the American immigration system. Surprisingly, most of them do it with grace and a quiet gratitude and eager spirit.

Although all of us at Hogar, volunteers and staff alike, do our utmost to assist all students and clients, it nevertheless seems as if they sometimes teach us more than we could ever teach them. They tell us of their cultures, countries and families left behind. They talk about how grateful they are to be able to reside here and how they hope that their children will benefit from all the opportunities that exist here.  And despite any hardships they have undergone or continue to undergo, they remain positive and thankful.  We should take these lessons to heart and always remember that such strength and positivity is what empowers people to become better human beings.