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Ways to Connect with Latinos |
Open Up Your Life And Be a Friend
Invite a Latino family to your house for dinner. Have them bring a
favorite dish and make it a cultural experience.
Help obtain a drivers license.
Go with them to find better housing.
Give cultural insights. Try to understand their culture. Listen to their
music and share your favorite songs as well.
Provide transportation to medical appointments or to church services.
Go along to the grocery store and introduce foods. Even the most basic
nutrition knowledge can be helpful.
Find a way to answer the legal questions they have. Or find someone who
can help them.
Spend time with their children, helping them to succeed at school.
Read the Latino newspaper El Mundo Hispano. (http://mundohispano.usclargo.com/).
Connect With Local Latino Compassion Leaders
There are several key individuals who are cooperating to assist Latinos in
need in the Knoxville community. To offer your support to this team in any
way, contact the Compassion Coalition office. We will connect you to them
all. Join a core group of compassion advocates that meets monthly.
Some of the needs include translation, English, drivers license, housing,
legal advice, medical needs, transportation and isolation.
Key compassion advocate groups and individuals that you can call in
Knoxville:
Office of Hispanic Ministry, Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville,
637-4769
East Tennessee Hispanic Community Services, 740-1114
Eugenia Almeida, 936-3995
Barbara Diaz Bowers, 455-0330
Juanita Winters, Fellowship Church, 470-9800 ext. 118
Offer Your Bilingual Skills
If you speak Spanish and would be willing to translate on a regular basis
as part of a large team of translators who together would cover
translation needs every day of the month, contact the Compassion Coalition
office.
Give the Gift of English
Connect a Latino friend to one of the English as a Second Language (ESL)
networks. One is faith-based while the others are not.
East Tenn ESL Network (faith-based): Regina Robbins, 927-1107
Pellissippi State ESL Classes: Tamela Wheeler, 539-7109
Knox County Adult Basic Education: Carol Robins, 594-3622
Teach ESL at one of the local Hispanic congregations.
Teach survival English to a neighborhood family.
Tutor at a Nearby Public School
Volunteer at a local school to help Latino children with their lessons.
Contact the Knox County Public School ESL office for a school with this
need: 594-1760
Serve as a liaison between a local school and Hispanic parents, who are
often intimidated about coming to the school.
Help Find a Church
Connect Hispanics who live in your neighborhood with one of the Latino
congregations listed to the right.
Offer unconditional help at one of the churches doing outreach to
Hispanics. Practice your Spanish! It can instantly dissolve barriers.
Attend a Latino congregation regularly and help connect them to the
broader body of Christ in this city.
Advocate for Justice-Related Issues
Many issues trouble the waters for certain Latinos. Pray for them. Some
of you are called to offer legal advice.
A few of you can help shape state and national immigration laws. We need
you!
For a Latino advocate at the Knoxville police station, contact Officer
Savannah Ayub, 215-7389, or Pastor Alan Smith, 690-3662.
Help Start an Immigrant Family Advocacy Center
Many believe that Knoxville needs a one-stop shop for immigrants to get
reliable information about a wide range of issues ranging from legal
advice to housing, medical care to employment. Maybe you can help make
this happen. Contact the Compassion Coalition if interested.
The center would network and connect Latino families.
Latino Congregations & Fellowships
Estudio Biblico en Espanol, Central Baptist Bearden: Cecil and Jean
Thompson, 584-5859 (h)
Estudio Biblico en Espanol, Parkwest Church of God: Melvin Colon,
671-8940 (h)
East Tennessee Catholic Hispanic Ministry: Jeannine Ugarte, 637-4769
East Tennessee Hispanic Community Services: Billy Edmonds, 740-1114
Iglesia de Dios Internacional Fuente de Vida: Pastor Mychal Spence,
938-0575
Iglesia Adventista Del Septimo Dia: Pastor Andrew Caven 524-7842;
contact Frank McNeil, 546-1168
Iglesia Presbiteriana Cumberland Misericorzia: Pastor Alfonso Marquez,
988-4929, 660-7579
Iglesia Bautista Temple: Director Vνctor Rouse, 938-8182 ext.235
Iglesia De Cristo Ministries Elim: Pastor Hose Bravlio Gonzalez,
769-0487 (h), 406-8824 (cell)
Maryville - Iglesia de la Resurrecion: Pastor Victor Stephanini,
681-7830, stefanini4@juno.com
Maryville Iglesia de Dios Bethel: pastor Mychal Spence, 938-0575
Morristown - La Iglesia Bantista Gran Comision: Pastor William Bunton,
423-231-6113
Sacred Heart Cathedral: Father Peter Iorio, 588-0249 |
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