This page is a directory of Latino focused initiatives in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and surrounding areas that are staffed by bilingual (Spanish-English) workers.

New references are welcomed. Please follow the format below, providing the name and telephone number of the initiative, and if possible, the name of the contact person and his/her telephone number and email. Please also indicate if the initiative has an English or Spanish language web page and its URL. Send additions, updates and corrections to: peterl@piedmonthousing.org

Contents

Alcoholics Anonymous

Charlottesville City Schools Spanish Phone Line

Churches with Spanish Language Services

Medical Assistance for Children

Domestic Violence

Employment

ESL Services For Adults

Funding Sources for Initiatives that Support Latinos

Information & Referral (General)

Latina Girls

Legal Assistance

Media

Mental Health Service Providers

Migrant Education

Rural Health Outreach Program Mobile Clinic

Sexual Assault

Strengthening Families

Women's Health

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Hay Una Solución
A Spanish-language Alcoholics Anonymous group meets at the Church of the Incarnation three times a week. The group, “Hay Una Solución” (There is a Solution) is open to all Spanish-speaking individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol. The group meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7 pm in Room 15 at the Church of the Incarnation, located behind Toys R Us off Hillsdale Drive. Please encourage Spanish-speaking individuals you know who struggle with alcohol abuse to participate. The group is anonymous, and while donations are accepted, there is no required payment by participants.
Contact: Rhonda Miska at 434/973-4381.

CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY SCHOOLS SPANISH PHONE LINE

Charlottesville City Schools has a Spanish Phone Line available to its families. This resource allows Latino families to contact us with their comments, questions, or concerns. Tina Vasquez, a high school teacher, responds to inquiries. Click here for a Spanish language flyer that can be given to parents and posted in schools so they have the number. Click here for the English version.

CHURCHES WITH SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES

Local churches with Spanish language services include the following:

Palabra de Fe, next to Albemarle High School, 2080 Lambs Rd, Phone: (434) 978-7984; Service: 1:00 Sunday Spanish service. Pastor Rich Hubbard is the head of the Spanish language congregation, richhubbard@aol.com ; http://www.wordoffaithva.org

Church of the Incarnation, behind Toys R Us, Phone: (434) 973-4381; Service: 1:30 Sunday Spanish mass. Contact: There is currently no specific contact since the Social Justice/Latino Minister resigned in October 2008. http://www.incarnationparish.org

Casa Del Padre, 1208 E Market St, Charlottesville, VA 22902, Pastors: Fernando & Hazael Garay, Phone (434) 989-2508, (434) 975-6167, Service: Thursday and Friday 7pm, Sunday 10:30 am, http://fernandogaray.com or pastorfgaray@comcast.net

Iglesia Cannan, 3045 Ivy Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903, Pastor: Josue Hernandez
Phone: 434-295-5050, Service: Wed - 7 pm and Friday 7 pm and Sunday 6 p.m.
Email: iglesiacanaan@comcast.net ; www.ministerioscanaan.org

Iglesia De Dios Luz Y Vida, the address and telephone of this Spanish language Church of God is unknown; it is believed to have temporary housing from its English counterpart on Rio Road, Covenant Church, (434) 973-5536.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN

Medicaid/FAMIS

This insurance program is available to U.S. born children of low income parents, regardless of the parent’s legal status. Applications are available in English and Spanish and should be submitted to the Social Services office in the jurisdiction where the applicant resides. Online Spanish applications are at: http://www.famis.org/apply.cfm?lang=Spanish## For more information about FAMIS, visit: http://www.famis.org

CHIP

This program consists of public health nurses and family support workers who visit homes of low-income families to improve family health and self-sufficiency. Through CHIP, families identify a primary care physician for their young children; learn about and use community resources; and develop support systems and skills to be healthy. The program is available to at-risk Medicaid-eligible children ages 0-6 and their families and pregnant women. Citizenship is not a requirement. Contact Judy Smith, 972-6225, who will assign one of her Latina family support workers to your Spanish speaking Client. The CHIP office is located at the Dept. of Health, 1138 Rose Hill Drive (off Preston, between Bodos and Washington Park).

WIC

WIC helps to correct or prevent malnutrition in low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, women who recently had a baby, infants and children up to 5 years old who are at health risk due to inadequate nutrition. WIC provides supplemental food, offers professional nutrition education and makes referrals based on health screening and assessments of need. Its office is located at the Dept. of Health, 1138 Rose Hill Drive (off Preston, between Bodos and Washington Park). For referrals, call 972-6206 and ask for a Spanish speaking worker for your Latino Client.

Dental

The Community Children's Dental Center offers preventive and restorative dental services, including xrays and cleanings. Medicaid/FAMIS typically covers all costs at the Center. Costs for children who do not have Medicaid/FAMIS will be based on their parents’ income. The Center is located at 259 Hydraulic Ridge Road, Suite 101; telephone: 293-9300. It tries to have bilingual volunteers to help with Latino patients.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Shelter for Help in Emergencies (SHE)
Telephone/24 hours: (434) 293-8509
Contact: Dilcia Colindres, (434) 293-6155, dilciacolindres@msn.com
Web page (in Spanish):
http://www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org/Los_Recursos_Espanoles.html

EMPLOYMENT

Virginia Employment Commission
Downtown Charlottesville

Bilingual Job Referrals for Latino Veterans
Pedro Ortiz
Pedro.Ortiz@vec.virginia.gov
434/984-7630

ESL SERVICES FOR ADULTS

English classes for Adults are offered by Charlottesville and Albemarle Public Schools, by UVA, PVCC, and by Literacy Volunteers.

For current course offerings by Albemarle County Adult Education, visit:
http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/scrapbook/
default.php?sectiondetailid=18602&sc_id=1184894192

For current course offerings by Charlottesville City Schools, visit:
http://www.ccs.k12.va.us/programs/esl/index.html

Public English as a Second Language Services – Charlottesville Albemarle Quick Guide

English Language Service Directory

English Classes at Southwood. Albemarle County Schools is offering English classes for adults beginning September 2009. Classes, for beginners and advanced learners, will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, in the Habitat building (store). They cost $25 a semestre. Classes will run the course of the school year. For more information, contact Paula Mehring at (434) 295-7936. Click here for a flyer in Spanish.

Downtown English: Free English classes for restaurant and hotel workers. Learn Basic English for work and life. Go to class once a week. Learn computer skills. Study anytime using videos and workbooks. Schedule: Monday 8:30-10:30 AM and 2:30-4:30 PM at the Adult Learning Center; Thursday 8:30-10:30 AM at Computers4Kids. start anytime. Call 245-2817 today for details. Adult Learning Center, Charlottesville City Schools * 935A 2nd Street, SE (IX Building) Charlottesville, VA 22902 * www.charlottesville-esl.org

English for Success! Classes are every Monday at 7pm at Casa del Padre church.  “English for Success is designed to teach the student to speak, comprehend, read and write English in a full immersion classroom.  Special consideration is taken with students that can not read.  No one will be left out!  This class builds confidence in speaking the language and understanding the North American culture. It is a must for daily living success!” Casa del Padre also offers employers corporate discounts for on-site classes or for a group of employees they would like to sponsor. For more information, contact 434-989-2508 or hazaelgaray@gmail.com

The Dialogue Café is designed for Limited English Proficiency adults who can practice their English with native speakers, meet new friends, and find out about new cultures, on Wednesdays (6-8 pm) and Fridays (1:30 – 3:30 pm), at the Adult Learning Center, 935 A Second Street, SE, in the Ix Building (off Elliott Ave).  To make a referral, to participate yourself, or for more information, contact:  245-2817.

FUNDING SOURCES FOR INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT LATINOS

Local funds are available to start up or strengthen initiatives serving the Latino population.
Please contact Holly Hatcher, Director of Programs, at (434) 220-3473 or hhatcher@cacfonline.org, or visit www.cacfonline.org for more information about the following sources.

Bama Works Fund
A Dave Matthews Band fund supporting charitable programs in the Charlottesville area. Grants are limited to the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Buckingham, and Nelson. Grants are made to tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3). Program interests include, but are not limited to: disadvantaged youth, needs of the disabled, protection of the environment, and the arts and humanities. The Fund generally does not support: endowment programs, fund raising events, annual appeals of well-established organizations, or grants to individuals.

Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF).
A permanent endowment dedicated to improving the quality of life in Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Greene, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Buckingham, and Nelson. With assets over $58 million, CACF makes grants of more than $3 million annually through its Community Endowment and its many donor-advised funds. Since its inception in 1967, the Community Foundation has made grants of more than $21 million to hundreds of nonprofit agencies.English classes for Adults are offered by Charlottesville and Albemarle Public Schools, by UVA, PVCC, and by Literacy Volunteers.

LATINA GIRLS

Latinas Group
This weekly discussion group geared toward Latina girls was started in February 2008 by Laura Brown, from the Virginia Migrant Education Program and the Albemarle County ESOL program. Laura started the group in response to feedback from parents concerned about the difficult and sometimes culture-specific issues facing Latina teens. For a June 2008 article about the initiative, click here.
Location: Burley Middle School
Contact: Laura Brown, lbrown2@k12albemarle.org, or Coutney Stewart, cstewart@k12albemarle.org

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Legal Aid Justice Center
Through bilingual lawyers, assists individuals, without regard to immigration status, on a range of issues including employment, housing, consumer law, education, and elder law. It also handles some immigration cases through Doug Ford (doug@justice4all.org) but does not do family law/custody cases.
Location: 1000 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville
Telephone: (434) 977-0553 • 1-800-578-8111 • Fax (434) 977-0558

Central Virginia Legal Aid Society Services
CVLAS does family law, custody cases, domestic violence cases, bankruptcy, garnishment, foreclosure, Wills, Powers of Attorney, advance directives, and some consumer and housing cases. Because it receives federal funding, its ability to assist undocumented individuals is restricted. CVLAS can only provide services to non-U.S. citizens who: (1) have permanent resident status, or (2) have a Work Visa, or (3) are married to a U.S. citizen or are the parent of a U.S. citizen or are unmarried, under age 21 & the child of a U.S. citizen, and have applied for permanent resident status & not been rejected, or (4) were admitted as a refugee, granted asylum, or granted withholding from a deportation order, or (5) where the applicant or applicant’s child has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the U.S. and the applicant is seeking assistance necessary to assist the victim from an abusive situation or ameliorate the current effect of the abuse or protect against future abuse. The legal assistance includes, but is not limited to, obtaining a civil protection order, divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, housing, public benefits, employment, abuse/neglect, juvenile proceedings, small claims cases, and contempt actions. For a brochure in English, click here; for a fact sheet, click here.
Location: 1000 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville
Telephone: Applicants can call 296-8851 (local) or toll-free at 1-866-534-5243 or 1-800-390-9983 Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and ask for the Intake Department. Spanish speaking applicants can call Marina Battistini at 804-200-6033 (direct) or toll-free at 1-800-868-1012, ext. 3012, during the same days & hours.

Charlottesville Immigration Law Center
Provides bilingual “for fee” services covering the full range of immigration issues from filing of applications through representation before the immigration and federal courts. It not only helps individuals but provides services to employers of immigrants and has an informative web page about the documents immigrants should be obtaining in order to qualify for future benefit programs.
Location: 226 Douglas Avenue (Belmont), Charlottesville
Contact: 434-220-2799, Eddie Summers

Regional Manager for Civil Rights
Persons and organizations wishing to report specific incidences of language barriers at area agencies (hospitals, schools, police, social services, and other offices receiving federal funding) may do so anonymously.
Contact: Paul Cushing, at 215-861-4441 (phone), 800-368-1019 (hotline), 215-861-4431 (fax) or Paul.Cushing@hhs.gov

INFORMATION & REFERRAL (GENERAL)

The following organizations provide information and referral services to Spanish-speaking members of the community.

United Way
Monday thru Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
434/972-1703

Martha Trujillo, from Mexico, provides extensive I & R services to area Latinos. Too, people can call her for a pocket size Spanish language resource guide. A Spanish language flyer about the services Martha provides is at: http://www.unitedwaytja.org/I%20&%20R/Spanish%20Information/Publicidad%20.pdf

MEDIA

Forward
The bilingual magazine was first published in August 2008 to connect “American business owners [with the] growing Hispanic business arena. … The magazine gives business owners access to the growing Hispanic population and it gives Hispanics and other immigrants tips on opening businesses of their own. … The main purpose of Forward is to showcase entrepreneurialism, to gather the stories of entrepreneurs how they started, what are their struggles, what are their trials and errors...’"
Website: http://www.forwardvirginia.com
Contact: Olga Morse at (434) 690-4037

Nuevas Raíces
Spanish Language Newspaper published every Thursday in Harrisonburg and distributed in Charlottesville. Since Carlos Terán left the paper in mid 2007, the newspaper has had little coverage of the Charlottesville area.
Website (In Spanish): http://www.nuevasraices.com
Contact: info@nuevasraices.com or (540) 435-6805

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS

Cheryl Ribano followed up on networking efforts by a CJ Executive Committee member and compiled a directory of bilingual mental health service providers. This work in progress is not meant to be an endorsement by Creciendo Juntos (CJ) of any specific provider. To add other service providers, please write peterl@piedmonthousing.org To view the directory, click here.

RURAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM MOBILE CLINIC

The RHOP Mobile Clinic provides bilingual medical services – check ups, pap smears, blood work, referrals - the last Sunday of the month, from 2 to 6 pm, at the Dept. of Health, 1138 Rose Hill Drive (off Preston, between Bodos and Washington Park). To make an appointment, contact Ivonne López at 9621041. Click here for a flyer on the Dept. of Health location. For more information about RHOP, contact Jan Wolfe at 434/263-4858 or 434/409-1636. She can also be reached at jan@rhop-brmc.org

SEXUAL ASSAULT

The Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) serves women, children and men who have experienced sexual assault and their families and friends with a variety of services including counseling, advocacy and accompaniment, outreach, and self defense. Latino Clients should be referred to Lindsey Holcomb at 295-7273 or lholcomb@sexualassaultresources.org SARA’s web site is located at: http://www.sexualassaultresources.org

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

Region Ten’s Strengthening Families Program
This family-focused prevention program providing support for families with 6-11 year olds lasts 14 weeks and has three components: a behavioral parent training program, a children's skills training program, and family skills training program. Primary outcomes include reduced family conflict, aggressiveness and substance abuse, as well as improved youth social skills, parenting skills, and family communication and organization. The program is free of charge to participants. Childcare and transporation is also offered free of charge to those in need. The program is offered in Spanish at different area schools. To view a January 2008 power point presentation about the program, click here.
Contact: Coordinator, Laura Anderson
Telephone (434)972-1881
Email: lauraa@regionten.org

Literacy & English Playgroups In Southwood
Children, Youth and Families Services (CYFS) started a literacy program in Southwood in January 2008. The program on Mondays, from 1-2 pm, uses two UVA student volunteers. One of them, recruited by Gloria Rockhold, Albemarle Schools, speaks Spanish. Gloria is also recruiting Latino participants for this initiative supported by a CYFS employee and the other volunteer.

On Thursdays from 11:30 am -1 pm, CYFS has a playgroup staffed with two bilingual volunteers and a CYFS parent educator that speaks Spanish. This group started at the end of February 2008 and uses CYFS’s ParentingMobile.

The playgroups are targeting ages 0-6 year olds and their parent with an emphasis on learning English through play, songs, books….and encouraging positive parent/child interaction through a fun and creative learning environment. Snacks are provided at each group. CYFS hopes these two groups will continue weekly all year round. At this time CYFS is not planning to expand beyond Southwood because of limited staffing. For a June 2008 article on this program, click here.

For more information contact Hilary Nagel at hnagel@cyfs.org or 296-4118 ex 238.
For a Spanish and English flyer about the Monday group visit: http://www.cj-network.org/cjsouthwood/docs_2008/PlaygroupMondays.doc
For a Spanish and English flyer about the Monday group visit: http://www.cj-network.org/cjsouthwood/docs_2008/PlaygroupThursdays.doc
For an article about the CYFS Parenting Mobile visit: http://www.nbc29.com/global/story.asp?s=7765942

WOMEN’S HEALTH

La Clinica
This Clinic is staffed with Spanish-speaking clinicians and social workers who provide general obstetrics and routine gynecological care. It is open Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments must be made by telephone. Callers will hear a recording in English and in Spanish instructing them on how to make one. The services are offered on a sliding payment scale and Medicaid is available to those who qualify.
Location: Primary Care building of the UVA Medical Center
Telephone: (434) 924-1669