Latino Forum Cites Need For Bilingual Social Services Staffing
from the Poughkeepsie Journal
"Bilingual" was the keyword at Wednesday's Hudson Valley Latino Forum, which attracted about 60 people to the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in the city.
Hosted by Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows, or GET, the second annual forum's goal was to provide solutions to issues facing Spanish communities, including the need for bilingual human services, police and government professionals.
GET is a nonprofit that provides business counseling and resources to underprivileged aspiring business owners to help them climb up the economic ladder, GET President Enrique Lunski explained.
"Today is about concrete presentations and how you can help each other," Lunski said to an audience mostly comprised of human services professionals.
The forum kicked off GET's annual Hudson Valley Entrepreneurial Expo at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and a special luncheon focusing on opportunities to create green start-up companies.
During the forum, Susie Balutis-Mallory, president of the Association for Hispanics to Obtain Resources & Assistance, appealed for a workplace that promotes Spanish language training.
She gave an example of a woman she knew who was raped and who sought help from police and health services, only she couldn't speak English and they didn't speak Spanish.
"Her daughter had to translate. She had to hear over and over how her mom had been raped," Balutis-Mallory said.
She added, "When you're in a stressful situation and walk into an office where someone speaks your language, it makes all the difference."
Mediation center changes
Jody Miller, executive director for the Mediation Center of Dutchess County, said five years ago they didn't have that capacity.
"Now we have bilingual staff immediately available when we're contacted," she said.
Survey results from the inaugural Hudson Valley Latino Forum, held in September, were also presented.
Participants identified language barriers that could be demolished with mandatory staffing quotas for Spanish-speaking employees in key jobs as well as with workplace language training programs.
Peter Fontanes, director of the New York State League of United Latin American Citizens, suggested his grassroots organization has the power and influence to bring about positive changes.
"You can form a LULAC council in Poughkeepsie and have a nonprofit overnight to deal with a myriad of issues," he said.
Author: Sarah Bradshaw, Posted on Thu, Apr 30, 2009
