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To post an announcement, contact cj.cville@gmail.com
Contents Seeking Volunteer Opportunity Helping Latino Community Bilingual Employment Vacancies
Creciendo Juntos (CJ) is in the process of reorganizing its website www.cj-network.org on Wordpress and needs a volunteer who can spend 1 - 2 hours a week uploading weekly updates. Its present volunteer, a UVA student, has performed this important community service since April 2006. Ideally, his replacement should be able to take on the commitment for at least a year. The clearinghouse also needs volunteers with great communications skills who can contact service providers and prepare text updates about their activities that would be sent to the person uploading the site. If you’re interested in providing one or both of these valuable services to area Latinos and their service providers, please write annabsullivan@gmail.com. JABA’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) is looking for English-Spanish translators to assist in counseling sessions for clients on an as-needed basis. VICAP offers free health insurance information, one-on-one counseling and claims filing assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and their families. For more information, contact Becky Calvert at bcalvert@jabacares.org or via phone at 817.5272. The Adult Learning Center offers a number of free and low cost classes and needs volunteers to assist in a classroom setting while students from around the world learn English or prepare for their GED tests. No need to speak another language. Daytime and evening volunteer opportunities available. For more information, call Cherry Stewart, Volunteer Coordinator at (434) 245-2815 or email cherry.stewart@ccs.k12.va.us. The United Way needs volunteers to help with the 2011 tax season, particularly those who speak Spanish, in order to assist the many Latino families in our area that utilize the United Way’s free tax services. Please email pfrank@unitedwaytja.org if you are interested. The Thomas Jefferson Medical Reserve Corps (TJMRC) is looking for volunteers (both medical and non-medical and those who have bilingual skills) to assist the health department this season with immunization clinics. The Medical Reserve Corps augments the community’s ability to respond to public health emergencies. Prior to emergencies, TJMRC volunteers train and participate in emergency preparedness activities. During emergencies, TJMRC volunteers are activated by health department staff to assist in public health emergency response. There are roles for both medical and non-medical volunteers. To join the TJMRC visit http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/mrc/. Register in the Virginia Volunteer Health System (VVHS) at https://vms.vdh.virginia.gov/vms/. If you have any questions contact TJMRC@vdh.virginia.gov. Note: All TJMRC volunteers are subject to a background check. Children Youth and Family Services (CYFS) is seeking volunteers fluent in English and Spanish for its Early Literacy Program. The program serving children from 0-5 years of age, and including group activities such as singing, reading, and arts and crafts, is open to four communities in the area. It hopes to continue to expand and develop, offering a wider variety of services such as nutrition counseling. The groups typically meet twice weekly for a few hours. Interested volunteers can contact Hilary Nagel at hnagel@cyfs.org Piedmont CASA. CASA - http://www.pcasa.org - is a volunteer organization which trains Court Appointed Special Advocates, who work one-on-one with abused and endangered children to assist the courts in determining the best environment to ensure each child's safety and well-being. CASA workers is seeking bilingual and bicultural volunteers, especially men. Spanish speaking individuals and Latinos interested in volunteering at CASA should contact Lindsey Henry at 971-7515 or lhcasa@embarqmail.com Support Cville Fire Department’s Important Work with Latinos. The city Fire Department welcomes Latino and Spanish speaking volunteers to work with Fire Corps on initiatives educating Latinos about fire safety, from helping to increase Cville’s Latino participation in the annual December Posada to getting Latino children excited about fire safety so they can teach their parents about important issues, like not using gas stoves to heat homes, or help them get free fire alarms. Volunteering with Fire Corps will avail service providers - teachers, social workers and others working with Latino children and their parents – important and fun resources to educate their students with life skills and motivate them to share their knowledge. For more information about Fire Corps, visit http://www.cfdonline.org/Firecorp/index.htm or contact Mary Loose (MLoose@aol.com or 970-3536) or Felipe (301/537-8312).
Jesse Pearlstein is looking to volunteer with a youth or family based initiative working with Latinos. She worked as an AmeriCorps Volunteer for a youth organization in California for two years working with children and youth, the majority of them of Hispanic origin. Afterwards she spent the next two years serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. In the Peace Corps most of her activities centered on developing the potential of the youth in her community. Jesse says, “ I am hoping that I can take what I have learned and help give back to my hometown.” Any organization looking for a volunteer to work with Latino children or families can get in touch with her at pearlsjg@gmail.com or (434)-973-3835. Presentations for Latinos by Latino lawyer. Juan Vega is the Greene County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for domestic abuse and sexual assault; previously he was a domestic assault prosecutor in Minnesota. He is willing to provide presentations to Latinos on laws, sexual assault, gangs and other legal topics related to Latinos. If you are a government, community, or faith based agency interested in having Juan as a guest speaker during a Latino oriented event, please contact him at 434-532-7718 or vegalaw@gmail.com UVA’s Social Issues in Medicine Course seeks to sensitize medical students to the poor and to different cultures through volunteer activities with community organizations. During their first or second semester, medical students are placed for 30 hours (over 10 weeks) of service learning with a community organization as part of this required class. Many of the students are bilingual and have worked in Latin America and/or with Latino populations in the US. These volunteers prefer to work in medical settings but can also devote time to non-medical initiatives. For more information on how to recruit these volunteers, contact Dela Alexander at da7r@virginia.edu
My name is Michael Johnson and I have been active with the Latino community for the last 5-6 years, mostly as a tutor, but in other ways as well. I am seeking a native Spanish speaker to tutor me in Spanish a couple of days a week. It can either be an intercambio Spanish-English situation or straight tutoring of me in Spanish. I am willing to pay for the services. Thanks so much! Please contact me at cvillemjj@hotmail.com or (434) 245-9898. Region Ten Vacancies. Region Ten Community Services Board provides mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse services to the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Nelson, Fluvanna, and Louisa. One of 40 community service boards (CSBs) in the state of Virginia, Region Ten has a reputation for providing exceptional service to the residents of our community, including adults, children, infants, and families. Region Ten has become a leader in the field not only because of the professional and caring staff we employ, but also because of the range of innovative services we offer, in an effort to treat every person we serve based upon their individual needs. Region Ten is one of the largest employers in the Charlottesville area, with over 600 employees. With our array of services, opportunities exist for direct care staff, social workers, nurses, clinicians, teachers, office staff, administrators, and others looking to make a valuable contribution to their community and work in the human services field. For a complete list of our job openings and to apply, please visit our website at: www.regionten.org You can also apply in person at Region Ten CSB, 502 Old Lynchburg Road, Charlottesville, Virginia; or call 434-970-1392 for an application. If you are in search of employment working with the Spanish speaking community in the Charlottesville area, please send brief a description of your background and the type of work you are seeking to cj.cville@gmail.com. Aeron Hart is a former medical interpreter with the IRC looking for part time work, if possible in the same field. She has a Spanish degree, teaching experience, and has lived in Spain and Costa Rica. Please contact Aeron if you know of part time opportunities in medical interpretation, teaching, tutoring, or other bilingual employment: mad2live43@yahoo.com, (434) 249-8112. SIGN UP NOW! The Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Application Openings. With Hispanic students being part of the largest minority group in the United States and only 13 percent earning a college degree, it is important for the Hispanic College Fund to provide resources for students to pursue higher education and professional careers. The Hispanic College Fund announced the opening of scholarship applications, which are available online from Nov. 15, 2010 through March 1, 2011 at www.scholarships.hispanicfund.org. Scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 and will be awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year. To be eligible to apply, students must fulfill the following requirements: Be of Hispanic background; Maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average; Have graduated from high school in the U.S. after attending at least 3 years; Reside in the U.S. or Puerto Rico; Plan to enroll in a fulltime undergraduate program for the 2011-2012 academic year at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Puerto Rico; and Demonstrate financial need. As of 2010, the Hispanic College Fund has awarded nearly $15 million in scholarships to over 5,400 students. For more information and to apply: http://www.hispanicfund.org/. Leadership Opportunities for Latino High School and College Students. Are you a Latino high school student interested in learning about college and career opportunities? The Hispanic Youth Institute inspires students like you to achieve a college education, pursue a professional career, and invest in your community as volunteers and leaders. You will participate in college and career workshops, connect with local Hispanic professionals, meet college admissions officers, interact with near-peer mentors, listen to inspirational speakers, and compete for scholarships. Throughout the on-campus experience, you will build your confidence and receive practical tools to help you along your pathway to college. To apply to the program, go to: http://www.hcfconnections.org/page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hispanicyouth.org&srcid=1976&srctid=1&erid=8646700 and select the region where you live. We’re also seeking Latino Leaders for Summer 2011 Hispanic Youth Institute Kick-Off: Are you interested in helping transform someone's life? Do you want to make an impact that will positively affect the trajectory of the next generation of Latino Youth? If so, you should consider applying for a Hispanic Youth Institute (formerly called Hispanic Youth Symposium) leadership position. For more information, go to http://www.hcfconnections.org/page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hispanicyouth.org%2fbecome-a-volunteer&srcid=1976&srctid=1&erid=8646700 or email Marcos Valdez at mvaldez@hispanicfund.org Free Summer Camp Opportunity for 1st - 3rd Graders. Are you looking for something fun and free for your child or children to do next summer? The Summer Enrichment Program (Child Psychology Study) at University of Virginia is recruiting children who are in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade right now and who will be ages 7-9 by next July. Children will participate in a summer enrichment day camp in summer of 2011. The purpose of the camp is to test behavioral treatments that help children with ADHD make friends better. However, the study needs both typical kids without emotional/behavior problems and also children who have suspected/diagnosed ADHD, so that the camp resembles the makeup of a regular classroom. Therefore, we are recruiting children who don't have behavior problems as well as those that do. The camp is meant to be fun and children will engage with their peers in lots of art, music, drama, sports, games, and teamwork activities. All families will receive a summary report of their child's IQ, reading and math achievement, and behavior patterns; the summer program at no cost; and payment of $100 to $200 for completing research measures. To learn more, contact Dr. Amori Mikami at the Summer Program for Kids Study: SPK@virginia.edu or 434-243-2327. Spanish speakers can leave a message and someone will return their call. Staff are available to translate for Spanish speaking families during an interview in which parents describe their children’s behavior and will also be on site at the summer camp. Children will need to be able to speak (though not read and write) English at grade level. For a Spanish Language flyer click here. VCU is conducting a research study examining family communication about cancer and health in Latino families. It is looking for Latino young adults (18-25 year olds) who would be interested in participating. The survey is administered only in English. Participants will receive $25 cash for participating. For more information contact Rosalie Corona, Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, (804) 828-8059, racorona@vcu.edu
Wednesday Morning Latina Women’s Support Group. The Women's Initiative offers a support group for Latina women every Wednesday at 10 am at the Word of Faith Church (across the street from Albemarle High School). Transportation and childcare is provided. For more information, contact Elizabeth Irvin at 434-964-6472.
During the month of January there will be celebration activities on behalf of Martin Luther King, Jr., and for many Latino families, January 17, 2010 would be just a day off for students. As part of our efforts to integrate the Latino community we would like to share MLK’s biography with our Spanish speaking clients and friends to learn more about the meaning of the holiday and this great American figure. Download a Spanish language flyer about Martin Luther King Jr. by clicking here. If you need more information, contact Martha Trujillo at (434) 972-1703 or mtrujillo@unitedwaytja.org
According to the Inter American Development Bank, more than 50% of Latinos in the United States are unbanked. Barriers such as culture and language differences, immigration status, lack of policies for their insertion in the financial system, and a lack of trust in these institutions all pressure immigrants to use money transfer agencies rather than the banking system. Due to these challenges many Latino immigrants avoid banking institutions, have lower saving rates, and are more vulnerable to robberies. This Workshop will take a look at our local Latino population’s money management practices and answers these questions:
For more information contact: Gloria Rockhold grockhold@k12albemarle.org or (434) 249-9530. CJ Workshops are free, conducted in English and open to the public. Registration and refreshments begin at 9:40 a.m.; the workshop is from 10:00 am – 11:30 am in Room A of the Albemarle County Office Building on 5th St Ext.
This workshop will look back at the bills considered during the 2011 General Assembly session and discuss any upcoming changes to Virginia law. Presenters will also offer an overview of other policies targeting Virginia’s immigrant communities, both on the state and federal levels. For more information contact the coordinator, Tim Freilich at tim@justice4all.org. CJ Workshops are free, conducted in English and open to the public. Registration and refreshments begin at 9:40 a.m.; the workshop is from 10:00 am – 11:30 am in Room A of the Albemarle County Office Building on 5th St Ext.
This workshop, hosted by CJ’s new Early Childhood Work Group, will explore some of the challenges and cultural issues young Latino children in our area are facing and strategize on ways we can help them access the services they need in order to succeed. Service providers, educators, therapists, community volunteers, and anyone working with our Latino population are encouraged to attend and learn more about resources and strategies that will enable them to better serve Spanish speaking families with young children. For more information on this workshop please contact the facilitator Maria Williams at elbambutercero@hotmail.com. CJ Workshops are free, conducted in English and open to the public. Registration and refreshments begin at 9:40 a.m.; the workshop is from 10:00 am – 11:30 am in Room A of the Albemarle County Office Building on 5th St Ext.
This workshop will cover the issues surrounding Latinos’ access to higher education, including immigration status, high school drop -out rates, and other factors that prevent many young Latinos in our area from pursuing a college degree. Participants will also learn about resources and support systems for Latino high school students hoping to go on to a community college or university. For more information contact Gloria Rockhold at grockhold@k12albemarle.org. CJ Workshops are free, conducted in English and open to the public. Registration and refreshments begin at 9:40 a.m.; the workshop is from 10:00 am – 11:30 am in Room A of the Albemarle County Office Building on 5th St Ext.
Creciendo Juntos hosts roundtables twice a year to offer local service providers, educators, non profits, faith based organizations, government agencies, and community members an opportunity to promote the Latino-oriented initiatives and services they provide or are interested in starting. Organizations and community members that offer services to Latinos or wish to expand their initiatives to the Spanish speaking population in our area should join this discussion and be prepared to give a brief description of their programs. Organizations in need of volunteers or seeking to hire a bilingual employee, and individuals in search of bilingual employment or volunteer opportunities should also attend. For more information contact the facilitator, Anna Sullivan, at annabsullivan@gmail.com. CJ Workshops are free, conducted in English and open to the public. Registration and refreshments begin at 9:40 a.m.; the workshop is from 10:00 am – 11:30 am in Room A of the Albemarle County Office Building on 5th St Ext.
The Annual Latino Festival is held on a Sunday at the Harris Pavilion in old town Manassas. Great family entertainment, several musical groups, children activities and great food makes this free annual event – to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month - a great option for a fun, wholesome family day. Activities and entertainment start at 1pm and will end at 6pm. The drive to Manassas is a pleasant one on Sundays. For more information on past activities, to be a 2011 sponsor or to operate a table visit http://sites.google.com/site/manassaslatinofestival
Central America celebrates Independence Day on September 15; Mexico celebrates on September 16. Each year, from September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the economic, cultural, and social contributions of the more than 46 million Latinos residing in the U.S. During this month, colleges, libraries, community groups, and the media typically feature films, documentaries, reports and other activities for and about Latinos. Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to educate your agency (workplace, volunteer effort, church, etc.) about our local Latino residents, comprised predominately of Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans. The CJ online clearinghouse has local and state statistics and other information about Latinos as well as myth breaking facts and studies: The store Teachers’ Edition (1933 Commonwealth Dr, 296-3439) has or can order many materials suitable for bulletin boards, walls and doors, including 3 colorful packets ($10) that include photos and interesting data on Hispanic artists, advocates, authors, athletes, scientists, and entertainers. Your agency might also think about partnering with a local Spanish speaking congregation or Latino business to do outreach in the Latino community or to provide a service to it. A list of possible partners is at http://www.cj-network.org/local_init.html
The annual CJ Help Fair – Fería de Ayuda – offers outreach and networking opportunities to service providers working in the areas of health, housing, education, employment, legal and social services. Government offices, non-profits, churches, educational institutions, businesses and others serving Charlottesville’s Latino community are invited to participate with an information table and/or to donate funds, food, music, dance performance, or a door prize. In addition to these information tables operated by service providers, CJ Help fairs include brief workshops and medical examinations. Persons interested in participating in the 2011 CJ Help Fair, including those who would like to assist in its organization, should contact Martha Trujillo at mtrujillo@unitedwaytja.org. The 2011 Help Fair will be held at the Church of the Incarnation on Saturday, September 25.
Each December the Charlottesville Fire Department and Fire Corps host a wonderfully authentic posada, a traditional Mexican Christmas celebration, at the Fire Station on Ridge St. This event welcomes the Charlottesville fire fighters, their families, area Latinos, and any interested community members for a warm evening of caroling in English and Spanish, Mexican hot cocoa and food, and an opportunity to learn more about fire safety, tour a fire engine and meet fire fighters in full gear. In 2010, 250 residents attended, most of them Latinos. Fire Corps director Mary Loose DeViney welcomes Latinos and service providers working with them – including elementary teachers, churches, social workers and others - to join in making each year’s Posada better than ever by taking on a task or just showing up with Latinos and others. For more information contact her at MLoose@aol.com or 970-3536, or Felipe Mendoza at felipemendoza@yahoo.com or 301/537-8312.
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The ¿Qué Pasa? Festival, held in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, includes headliner musical talent; folkloric dancing performances; arts and crafts; authentic food vendors - showcasing various types of Hispanic foods from several regions; a kid's area and much more. The Saturday event is from noon - 8pm at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W Broad Street, and includes free admission to the museum. For information on past activities go to 
