Eventos News Primavera 2011

By Bill Keitel

You go many places and travel far and wide. I have an interesting community that allows me to enjoy the far flung reaches of the world . . . right in my own back yard.

Recently the news is all about ”immigration” and our national concerns for security. I find “security” in my own back yard and in my community. Before you respond to the hype and fear about immigration (legal or undocumented) let me tell you about my community.

I am a small business man that has modestly prospered in this curious setting. I have come to embrace the fine people that are immigrating to my community. They have become the life blood that has allowed our community to continue to prosper . . . in a time when the demographics were completely against us.

Our community is located just south of the mythical “Lake Wobegon” and we typify those demographic characteristics.

por Bill Keitel

Tu vas a muchos lugares y viajas a lo largo y ancho. Yo tengo una comunidad interesante que me permite disfrutar los alcances lejanos del mundo . . . justo en mi propio traspatio.

Recientemente las noticias son todo sobre “imigracion” y nuestro interés nacional por la seguridad. Yo encuentro “seguridad” en mi propio traspatio y en mi comunidad. Antes de que respondas al revuelo publicitario y miedo sobre inmigración (documentados e indocumentados) déjame decirte acerca de mi comunidad.

Yo soy empresario de un negocio pequeno que a prosperado modestamente en este curioso escenario. He llegado a abrazar a la Buena gente que esta emigrando a mi comunidad. Se han convertido sangre de vida que le permite a nuestra comunidad a prosperar…..en un tiempo cuando las demográficas estaban completamente contra nosotros.

Nuestra comunidad esta

By Jane Moore

Yunuen Velázquez was 4 in 1996 when she and her mother arrived in Worthington, Minnesota from Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico. Velázquez spoke only Spanish, had not attended preschool and was rejoining her father, Ernesto, who had labored alone for more than three years in the United States to earn enough money to relocate the entire family.

Today, Velázquez is an articulate, accomplished, confident and multi-lingual 18-year-old. Having become a naturalized U.S. citizen a few years ago, she graduated in May 2010 from Worthington High School with a 3.4 grade point average and recently began her freshman year at Concordia College, Moorhead, where she plans to study music and art with the aid of scholarships.

por Jane Moore

En 1996 Yunuen Velázquez tenía 4 años, cuando ella y su madre llegaron de Chéran, Michoacán, México a Worthington, Minnesota. Velázquez no había tenido educación pre-escolar y solamente hablaba español al momento en que se reunieron con su padre, Ernesto, que había estado trabajado durante más de tres años ganando el dinero suficiente para poder trasladar a toda la familia a los Estados Unidos.

Hoy, Velázquez es una chica de 18 años, expresiva, confiada, realizada y habla dos idiomas. Después de algunos años se naturalizó como ciudadana estadounidense y en Mayo del 2010 se graduó de Worthington High School con un promedio de 3.4 y recientemente comenzó su primer año en el

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Worthington, MnModel City, USA

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primavera 2011Minnesota Statewide Special Edition: Spotlight on Worthington

Mi Pueblo es Diferente a tu Pueblo

My town is Different than Your town

Puentes y Baches: Worthington Avanza por el Camino del éxito en

una Comunidad Diversa

Bridges and Bumps: Worthington Progresses on the road to a

Successful, Diverse Community

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Our accommodation of the newest immigrants started about 25-30 years ago with the Vietnamese and Laotian peoples. It has continued throughout the decades and has been of great benefit to this community. Our community would have demographically drifted off the charts . . . because of “out migration” and an aging population.

Many of my Lao and Vietnamese friends are here . . . because they stood up for “American Ideals” and risked both their lives and the lives of their families, much to their credit. In quiet moments, I have heard their stories . . . it has brought tears to my eyes . . . I have a profound respect for them. American Idealism? . . . I have not sacrificed, . . . like they have sacrificed. My life has been relatively easy. If they would tell you their stories . . . you would have a new found respect for the immigrant experience. Immigration doesn’t happen because ”things are dandy!” Immigration happens because people are at the limits of their own tolerance.

Today, I can take my 2-block walk to work and say “hello” in numerous languages. Sai Bai Dee (Lao), Buenos Dias (Mexico, Guatamala, El Salvador ), De Tu Jot (Sudanese) Djow Go (Vietnamese), Ka May La ha (Ethiopian), its is perhaps a

localizada justo al sur de la mítica “Laguna Wobegone” y tipificamos esas características demográficas.

Nuestro alojamiento de los emigrantes mas nuevos comenzó mas o menos de 25 q 30 anos atrás con los Vietnamitas y Laosianos. Ha continuado a través de las décadas y a sido de gran beneficio a esta comunidad. Nuestra comunidad hubiese sido derivada demográficamente fuera de serie . . . por lo de “fuera emigración” y el envejecimiento de la población.

Muchos de mis amigos Laos y Vietnamitas están aquí….porque defendieron los “Ideales Americanos” y arriesgaron los dos, sus vidas y las vidas de sus familias, mucho a su favor. En momentos de silencio, he escuchado sus historias…..me han traído lagrimas a mis ojos….tengo un profundo respeto por ellos. Idealismo Americano?….Yo no he sacrificado….como ellos se han sacrificado. Mi vida a sido relativamente fácil. Si ellos te contaran sus historias….encontrarías un nuevo respeto por la experiencia inmigrante. La inmigración no sucede porque “las cosas están genial!” La inmigración sucede porque las personas se encuentran en los limites de su propia tolerancia. Hoy, puedo tomar my caminata de dos cuadras al trabajo y decir “hola” en numerosos idiomas.

crude rendition of their languages . . . but it allows me a comfort zone with my new neighbors. I have them sign a world atlas in my store . . . it allows me the ability to understand where they have come from and often times it allows me to understand some of their travails.

As I walk around the lake I can confidently say “duke bhet ba” (how’s fishing? in Lao), to my Sudanese kids I shout “beh tu nie yet gel” (lets stick together!)

They all enjoy and appreciate my attempt to speak in their native tongue (they laugh at me), as they continue to become assimilated into our community. We are a small community and we strive to make sure that no one is anonymous. Cross-cultural exchanges happen far more frequently in a small community, no one has the ability to be anonymous. Our community is far more diverse than most any large city in the Midwest . . . perhaps the nation.

Assimilate . . . they have! I am convinced that these new found immigrants have saved my community. They have purchased homes, they have purchased cars, they have kept our grocery stores busy. They have created their own grocery stores. They are the new graduates at the local community college. They have become the New Worthington. There might be a few people that consider this immigration a threat . . . those folks are prone to fear and loss of their standing within their perceived place within our community. The good news is that the majority of folks around these parts recognize that this “immigration thing” is of

Sai Bai Dee (Laos), Buenos Dias (Español), De Tu Jot (Sudanés), Djow Go (Vietnamita), Ka May La ha (Etiope),

Es tal vez una cruda interpretación de sus idiomas….pero me permite una zona de confort con mis nuevos vecinos. Los tengo señalándome un atlas mundial en mi tienda….me permite la habilidad de comprender de donde han venido y muy seguido

me permite comprender algunas de sus calamidades.

Mientras camino alrededor de la laguna puedo decir confiadamente “duke bhet ba” (que tal la pesca? En Laos), a mis niños Sudaneses les grito “beh tu nie yet gel” (mantengámonos unidos!).

Todos ellos disfrutan y aprecian mi intento de hablar en su lengua

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hoLA EVEntoS rEADErSBy Jane Moore

HAYFIELD, MN – From Arizona to Minnesota, states and towns across the U.S. are struggling to come to terms with a rising level of diversity—and some are handling the challenge more successfully than others.

Worthington, Minnesota, a rural community of about 12,000 people in Minnesota’s southwestern corner, has faced many of the same issues.

As an influx of immigrants of various nationalities has become part of the town’s population since 1990, individuals, schools, churches, government and businesses there have done their best to not only keep up with the needs of newcomers but to anticipate problems and foster integration in what was formerly a largely white, agriculturally centered county seat.

This edition of Eventos illustrates how Worthington ’s citizens have risen to the occasion, despite ongoing challenges and hurdles. Articles included cover the local integration collaborative and social service agencies, economic development efforts by minorities, the evolution of educational institutions, the effect and efforts of the local pork processing plant on the population change, the changing arts scene and the success story of an immigrant’s child.

This edition of Eventos is a must-read for those seeking to understand how immigration and integration are shaping rural America today. In short, a lesson from Worthington: change in a community’s longtime ethnic composition, though sometimes difficult, can have many positive results.



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great value to our community!Francisco is buying more real estate in neighboring

communities and is expanding his restaurant business and my friends from Laos have one of the largest Asian grocery stores in all of southern Minnesota-maybe the largest in Minnesota. My immigrant friends strive and achieve, sometimes they fail. Their perseverance makes me think more of them . . . not less.

I’ve lived here many years and the community would be quite mundane if I didn’t have the continual influx of new found friends and immigrants.

If you are looking for the latest trendy shopping mall or strip mall (filled with brand named stores) this might not be the place for you. We do have many standardized big box stores, however if you are looking for a real “WORLD MARKET” experience, I encourage you to come and visit Worthington.

It won’t be completely “standardized” with all the generic brand name stores . . . but if you have an

adventuresome spirit . . . you can enjoy a “real” World Market experience. Ma and Pa stores are sprouting up as we speak . . . and they are a significant part of the new entrepreneurial spirit of Worthington.

Immigration has never been “clean and tidy”, it has a “learning curve”. My community, Worthington, has stepped up to the plate and embraced that spirit of accommodation. We learn from our friends, we learn

natal (ellos se ríen de mi), mientras continúan ser integrados en nuestra comunidad. Somos una comunidad pequeña y nos esmeramos para asegurarnos que nadie sea anónimo. Intercambios culturales cruzados suceden mucho mas frecuentes en una comunidad pequeña, nadie tiene la habilidad de ser anónimo. Nuestra comunidad es mucho mas diversa que la mayoría de cualquier ciudad grande en el centro oeste . . . quizás de la nación.

Intégrense . . . ellos lo han hecho! Estoy convencido que estos nuevos inmigrantes encontrados han salvado mi comunidad. Ellos han comprado casas, han comprado carros, han mantenido nuestras tiendas de comestibles ocupadas. Han creado sus propias tiendas de comestibles. Son los nuevos graduados del colegio de la comunidad local. Se han convertido en El Nuevo Worthington. Tal vez haya algunas personas que consideren esta inmigración una amenaza . . . esa gente esta propensa al temor y perdida de sus sentido de estar de pie dentro de su percepción dentro de nuestra comunidad. La buena noticia es que la mayoría de la gente alrededor de estas partes reconocen que esta “cosa emigrante” es

de gran valor a nuestra comunidad! Francisco esta comprando mas bienes raíces en las

comunidades vecinas y esta en expansión su negocio de restaurante. Mis amigos de Laos tienen una de las tiendas de comestibles mas grandes Asiática en todo el sur de Minnesota . . . quizás la mas grande de Minnesota. Mis amigos inmigrantes se esfuerzan y logran, algunas veces fracasan. Su perseverancia me hace pensar mas de ellos . . . no menos.

Yo he vivido aquí muchos años y la comunidad seria muy mundana si yo no tuviera la continua afluencia de amigos nuevos encontrados y emigrantes.

Si tu estas buscando el centro comercial de las mas nuevas modas (llenas de tiendas de marcas) puede que este no sea el lugar para ti. Si tenemos muchas tiendas estandarizadas, sin embargo si tu buscas una experiencia real del “MERCADO MUNDIAL”, te animo a que vengas a visitar Worthington.

No será completamente “estandarizada” con todas las tiendas de marcas genéricas . . . pero si tienes un espíritu aventuroso . . . puedes disfrutar de una experiencia “real” del Mercado Mundial. Las tiendas de



Spotlight on Worthington

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mama y papa (tiendas pequeñas) están brotando en estos momentos . . . y son una parte significante del nuevo espíritu empresario de Worthington.

La inmigración nunca a sido “limpia y ordenada” tiene una “curva de aprendizaje”. Mi comunidad, Worthington a asumido la responsabilidad y estrechado el espíritu del alojamiento. Nosotros aprendemos de nuestros amigos, aprendemos de nuestros nuevos inmigrantes encontrados, aprendemos por ser capaz de decir . . . ”No te comprendo, explícame . . . otra vez” . . . eso es lo que significa ser acomodadizo. No tenemos miedo de entender a nuestros nuevos vecinos. Reconocemos que “Ellos” son nuestros nuevos inicios. Hemos sido reinventados y aunque si cometemos errores . . . nos recuperamos y nos esforzamos por aprender de ellos. Somos una brillante y rica comunidad . . . efectivamente capaz de extender la mano de alojamiento y amistad, mientras también ayudarnos a nosotros mismos a crecer económicamente.

Worthington se a beneficiado de sus nuevos inmigrantes encontrados y yo sospecho…..que la historia eventualmente escribirá un nuevo capitulo sobre esta comunidad y su “Espíritu de Alojamiento”.

Symbaidee, La Gon, Djow Go, Djow, Bye, Adiós,

Bill KeitelWorthington, MN

from our new found immigrants, we learn from being able to say . . . ”I don’t understand you, explain to me . . . again” . . . that is what it means to be accommodating . . . We aren’t afraid to understand our new neighbors. We recognize that “They” are our new beginnings. We have been re-invented and though we do make mistakes . . . we recover and strive to learn from them. We are a bright and rich community . . . quite able to extend a hand of accommodation & friendship, while also helping ourselves grow economically.

Worthington has benefited from its new found immigrants and I suspect . . . history will eventually write a new chapter about this community and its “Accommodating Spirit.”

Symbaidee, La Gon, Djow Go, Djow Bye,

Bill KeitelWorthington, MN

Samnieng Phomsatry and Bill Keitel at Ban Lao grocery at 919 4th Ave. , downtown Worthington

Bill Keitel with Bill and Mone Souksavong, owners of top Asian Foods

Fransisco and the crew at tacos Lupe pause for a photo with Bill.

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Her success story is one made possible, in part, by the general spirit of cooperation and tolerance that is largely present in Worthington. This little town on the prairie, whose origins date to pioneering European immigrants of the 1870s, has morphed over the past two decades from a mostly white city with an aging and numerically declining population to an ethnically diverse community; its growth rate was 13.1 percent from 1990-2000 and is conservatively estimated at 4.55 percent between 2000 and 2010.

“My dad came here because he heard there was work at JBS [formerly Swift, a local pork processing plant with about 2,400 employees],” shared Velázquez. “Work was hard to find in our part of Mexico, and he didn’t want the lifestyle there. He wanted me to be educated, so he decided to come here and start over.”

Ernesto Velázquez’s motivations are similar to those of many other immigrants who have helped boost Worthington’s various ethnic minorities to well over a quarter of the local population. Indeed, 60 different languages are reportedly spoken by the approximately 21,000 people (figure: 2000 census) in Nobles County, and the Nobles County court system employs an interpreter coordinator and AT & T language line services to accommodate the needs of residents.

With a bulk of the minorities coming to Worthington due to employment at JBS, the town has had many years of practice in laying the infrastructure necessary to accommodate a broad company of newcomers; local social services agencies, educational institutions, government entities and religious organizations all learned by trial and error over the past 20 years as the pace of new residents, many of whom are immigrants or refugees, accelerated.

“When the demographics started to really change here, former mayor Bob Demuth convened a core group of about eight to 10 people representing a variety of agencies to see what we could do to prepare the community for changes,” recalled Jerry Fiola, Worthington’s community education director since 1984 and a lifelong Worthington resident. “That was around 1990-91, and out of that group we organized the Worthington Cultural Diversity Coalition.

“The Cultural Diversity Coalition’s goal was to do two things: first, to help welcome newcomers and provide the support they needed in order to make Worthington their new home and, second, to attempt to work with the mainstream community to help everyone adjust to the changing demographics.”

Fiola notes that as many as 11 task force

committees emerged from those meetings, with charges to tackle issues ranging from health care access to law enforcement.

“After four years, some things had been institutionalized, some of the most urgent needs had been addressed and the city of Worthington formalized a cultural diversity steering committee,” detailed Fiola.

So when Velázquez began attending Worthington schools as a Spanish-speaking five-year-old in 1997, she was met by a staff well equipped to handle English as a Second Language students like her.

“Learning English was pretty easy for me because I was listening to it every day,” offered Velázquez. She says her friends have nearly always included peers from different cultural backgrounds, and she was blessed to have a father who made sure she took advantage of the educational and extracurricular opportunities afforded her in Worthington.

But an isolated community’s fundamental composition doesn’t shift so dramatically in such a relatively short period of time without encountering a few difficulties.

One ongoing challenge in Worthington, for instance, is a shortage of affordable housing. The local rental market has been extremely tight for years, and it is not uncommon for newcomers to pay more than they can reasonably afford for accommodations that, even so, may be sub-standard.

“Housing continues to be a challenge for our community, and that will likely always be at the forefront for us,” admitted Brad Chapulis, Worthington’s director of community development for the past 12 years. “It’s not so much due to race as it is to the cost of construction.”

Concordia College, Moorhead, donde con la ayuda de becas planea estudiar música y arte.

Su éxito fué posible, en parte, por el espíritu de cooperación y tolerancia que está mayormente presente en Worthington. Esta pequeña ciudad en la pradera, cuyos orígenes datan de los pioneros europeos inmigrantes de la década de 1870s y que en las últimas dos décadas , se ha transformado de una mayoría de población blanca con un envejecimiento numéricamente en descenso a una población étnicamente diversa. Su tasa de crecimiento fué del 13.1 % entre 1990-2000 y se estima que en un 4.55 % entre 2000 y 2010.

“Mi papá llegó aquí porque escuchó que había trabajo en JBS [anteriormente Swift, una planta local procesadora de carne de cerdo con unos 2,400 empleados],” comentó Velázquez. “Era difícil encontrar trabajo en esa parte de México, y él no quería el estilo de vida de ese lugar. Mi padre quería que tuviera una buena educación, así que decidió venir aquí y empezar de nuevo”.

Los motivos de Ernesto Velázquez son similares a los de otros muchos inmigrantes de diversas minorías étnicas que han contribuido a impulsar al pueblo de Worthington, y son más de un cuarto de la población local. De hecho, se ha reportado en el Condado Nobles 60 diferentes idiomas que aproximadamente se hablan por 21,000 personas (fuente: censo del 2000) y el sistema de las Cortes del Condado Nobles tiene a un intérprete coordinador y una línea de servicio de AT&T para ayudar a las necesidades del los residentes.

Con una gran parte de grupos minoritarios llegando a Worthington debido al empleo en JBS, la ciudad ha tenido muchos años de práctica en sentar las infraestructuras necesarias para ayudar a un numeroso grupo de recién llegados; servicios sociales locales, instituciones educacionales, entidades gubernamentales y organizaciones religiosas. Todos aprendieron por medio de “prueba y error” y a un paso acelerado por los nuevos residentes que muchos de los cuales son inmigrantes o refugiados.

“Cuando la demografia realmente comenzó a cambiar, el ex Alcalde Bob Demuth convocó a un grupo básico de alrededor de ocho a diez personas representando una variedad de organismos para ver qué se podía hacer para preparar a la comunidad para esos cambios”, recordó Jerry Fiola, residente por muchos años y desde 1984 Director de Educación Comunitaria en Worthington. “Esto fué alrededor de 1990-91, y de ese grupo organizamos la Coalición de Diversidad Cultural de Worthington.

“El objetivo de la Coalición de Diversidad

Cultural, era hacer dos cosas: primero, darle la bienvenida a los recién llegados y proporcionarles el apoyo necesario para hacer de Worthington su nuevo hogar y, segundo, tratar de trabajar con la comunidad ya establecida para ayudar a todos adaptarse a los cambios demográficos.”

Fiola observa que, unos once comités o grupos especiales surgieron de esas reuniones, para abordar temas tales como el acceso al cuidado de la salud hasta el cumplimiento de la ley.

“Después de cuatro años, algunas cosas habían sido organizadas y algunas de las necesidades más urgentes habían sido indentificadas y así la ciudad de Worthington formalizó un Comité Directivo de diversidad cultural”, detalló Fiola.

En 1997 cuando Velázquez tenía 5 años y siendo hispano-parlante comenzó asistir a las escuelas de Worthington y se encontró con un personal bien preparado para manejar el Inglés como segundo idioma en estudiantes como ella.

“Aprender Inglés fué muy fácil para mí porque lo estaba escuchando todos los días”, cuenta Velázquez. Ella dice que sus amigos eran de su mismo nivel pero de diferentes orígenes culturales, y se sentía bendecida por tener un padre, el cual, se aseguró que ella aprovechara de la educación y de las oportunidades extra-curriculares que se ofrecían en Worthington.

Pero en una comunidad aislada, su

Bridges and Bumps: Worthington Progresses on the road to a Successful, Diverse Community

Puentes y Baches: Worthington Avanza por el Camino del éxito en una Comunidad Diversa


Over the past two decades, the community of Worthington has experienced a major demographic shift, changing from a town comprised largely of white European-descended residents to one with a broad level of ethnic diversity.

In this southwestern Minnesota town of about 12,000 people, this demographic shift has, as might be expected, come with some growing pains. Yet because a majority of Worthington’s leaders and key community organizations took early steps to find ways to assist the newcomers rather than to fight the change, Worthington now finds itself in a better position than many small towns in handling its new composition.

In this edition, you may read several stories about how Worthington has coped with its “extreme makeover” and continues to adapt as necessary.

En las últimas dos décadas la comunidad de Worthington ha experimentado un cambio demográfico muy importante pasando de un pueblo compuesto mayormente por descendientes Europeos de raza blanca a un pueblo con un extenso nivel de diversidad étnica.

En este pueblo al suroeste de Minnesota, con una población aproximada de 12,000 personas, este cambio demográfico, como era de esperarse, viene con algunos problemas inherentes al crecimiento, la mayoría de los líderes y organizaciones claves, en lugar de pelear en contra del cambio, tomaron los primeros pasos para encontrar formas de asistir a los recién llegados. Ahora Worthington se encuentra en una mejor posición en comparación de muchos otros pueblos pequeños y su nueva organización.

En esta edición usted puede leer varias historias acerca de como Worthington ha se las ha arreglado con su “extrema transformación” y como conforme es necesario se continúa adaptando a los cambios.

Worthington hace Camino para inmigrantes, los Cambios

Worthington Makes Way for immigrants, Changes

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Weeee . . . ” The joyful scream of my daughter floated across the play grounds. “Daddy, Daddy!.. Push me higher;” she went on as we bounced up and down on the bright yellow see-saw next to the monkey bars. Up and down, up and down we go, pushing hard with our feet, while the rejoicing child on the other end of the beam goes down and up, down and up… what a rush! And the fact that this memory is more than 20 years old seems to have no affect whatsoever on the quality of sound, sight and thrill that it still generates in my mind. Such is a parent’s heart.

Not unlike the up and down action of the see-saw, your insurance policy is also working with a push up - push down tension between two players, and you can control how high or how low you want your expenses to be. Only in this case, rather than having a sweating parent on the one side and a thrilled child on the other, we find our deductible riding on one side of the see-saw and our premium payment on the other. In other words, the higher the deductible goes - the lower the premium payment will be. And the opposite is also true: The lower the deductible – the higher the premium.

Why is that? Because, like any organism, the insurance company responds to risk, and the more you are willing to share that risk, the cheaper will their services become. Think of it as a partnership you form with your insurance company to protect your assets in which your deductible is the portion of the risk you are willing to assume yourself. For example, if your roof blows off in the storm, you promise to pay the first $1,000 of the damages, while your insurance company promises to cover the rest of the expenses according to your policy provisions.

But what if your risk tolerance is higher than $1,000 and you are willing to assume responsibility for a higher deductible, say $2,500? In this case you will see your premium payments go down significantly as the see-saw of the industry goes up and down, down and up with deductible on the one side, and your premium payment on the

“Wiiiii . . . ” El grito alegre de mi hija se escucha a través del área de juegos. “Papá, papá! .. Empújame más alto” ella continua diciendo a medida que ella daba brincos hacia arriba y hacia abajo en el sube-y- baja de color amarillo brillante ubicado junto a las barras. Arriba y abajo, arriba y abajo vamos, empujando con fuerza con los pies, mientras que la niña se regocijaba en el otro extremo de la viga que va hacia arriba y abajo, abajo y arriba . . . con exaltación! Y el hecho de que esta memoria tiene más de 20 años de edad parece no tener efecto alguno sobre la calidad del sonido, la vista y la emoción que aún genera en mi mente. Tal es el corazón de un padre.

No hay diferencia con la actividad de arriba o abajo del sube-y-baja con su póliza de seguro, esta también está trabajando con un empuje hacia arriba –y con un empuje hacia abajo y la tensión entre dos jugadores, y usted puede controlar qué tan alto o tan bajo desea que sus gastos sean. Sólo que en este caso, en lugar de tener un padre sudoroso, por un lado y un niño emocionado por el otro, nos encontramos con que el deducible esta en un lado del subibaja y nuestro pago de prima en el otro. En otras palabras, cuanto mayor sea el deducible - menor será el pago de la prima. Y lo contrario también es cierto: Cuanto menor sea el deducible - más alta es la prima.

¿Por qué es esto? Porque, como cualquier organismo, la compañía de seguros responde al riesgo, y cuanto más estés dispuesto a compartir el riesgo, más barato serán sus servicios. Piense en ello como una sociedad que forma con su compañía de seguros para proteger sus activos en los que su deducible es la porción del riesgo que usted está dispuesto a asumir. Por ejemplo, si el techo de su casa se vuela en la tormenta, y usted se compromete a pagar los primeros $1,000 de los daños, mientras que su compañía de seguros se compromete a cubrir el resto de los gastos de acuerdo a las disposiciones de su póliza.

Pero lo que si su tolerancia al riesgo es mayor de $ 1,000 y usted está dispuesto a asumir la

continued on page 23 continua en pagina 23

Finanzas para BobosFinance for Dummies

Conozca su Seguro


Human Trafficking in MinnesotaBy Karen Fernow

Located in Saint Paul, Civil Society is the only agency in Minnesota to provide culturally and linguistically specific services to those violated by all forms of human trafficking and sexual violence. From a victim centered platform, they lead advocacy efforts to increase community awareness, outreach to victims, and seek to create social change to treat victims as victims, and assist law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting traffickers.

Civil Society hosted the First Annual Conference on Child Slavery and Sexual Exploitation on Oct. 1st which attracted experts from all over the world. They lead a campaign to recognize child victims of human trafficking and mandate that they be rescued rather than arrested. The organization monitors Minnesota Courts to enforce sex and labor trafficked children’s right to be treated as a victim rather than a criminal. If you’d like to become a court monitor, call Civil Society at 651-291-0713 to request a training kit to help.

Minnesota is among the top ten destination spots for human traffickers, our children are targets for sexual and labor exploitation. We can all do something about this problem; if we think we see signs of a person, of any age, who may be a victim, report it. If you think you spot suspicious behavior on the part of a victim please call Civil Society’s Crisis and Tip Line for help: 1-888-7-SAFE-24 (1-888-772-3324) or 651-291-8810

The motto for Civil Society is “look beneath the surface”. It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, or what role you play in your community you have undoubtedly, at some time or another, been in the presence of a trafficking victim or criminal and not even known they were there. As this crime escalates worldwide and in your own hometown and state, it is wise for all of us to take the time to learn the signs that a person in human bondage might be sending you.

Common Work and Living Conditions:

The victim: Is not free to leave or come •and go Is under 18 years of age and •is providing inappropriate services of any kindSeems to have a pimp/•manager, is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through

tips Works long and/or unusual •hours Is under unusual restrictions •by someone who seems to control them Is living or working in •a location which seems “guarded”Poor Mental Health or •Abnormal Behavior: The Victim:Exhibits fearful, anxious, •depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid behavior Reacts with fearful or anxious •behavior at any reference to authorityAvoids eye contact •Exhibits a flat affect. •Poor Physical Health•Has unexplained injuries or •signs of untreated illness or disease Seems underfed•Shows signs of physical •or sexual abuse, odd confinement, or torture. Lack of Control: The Victim:•Has few personal •possessions Does not have his/her own •money, financial records, or bank account Does not own his/her own •identification documents Can’t speak for him/herself •(e.g., a third party may insist on being present and/or interpreting) Other: The Victim:•Has been tattooed (perhaps •by a trafficker)Claims to be “just visiting” or •is vague about where he/she is staying Shows ignorance of •whereabouts and/or does not know what city he/she is in Exhibits confusion about of •sense of time Has numerous inconsistencies •in his/her story.

You can help Civil Society in a big way in one day: Civil Society can get matching funds for donations as little as $10.00 each. If you could ask 10 friends to donate $10.00 each on this ONE day, we could raise enough money to support 50 more children this coming year with services.

Linda A. Miller, Executive Director and founder has received two Certificates of Appreciation from the United States Department of Justice for effectiveness in reaching out to victims of human trafficking and other victims.

Human Trafficking

118 2nd Ave NW #106Hayfield, MN 55940

Tel: 800.570.3882 x8900Local: 507.951.7658Fax: 507.477.3325

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Spotlight on WorthingtonJane Moore

My Town is Differentthan Your Town

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One Groveland Terrace, Suite 201, Minneapolis, MN 55403 | [email protected]

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Elaraj_ad.pdf 11/3/2010 11:27:34 AM

A recent USA Today article indicated that economic boycotts against Arizona after the state passed an immigration enforcement law in April have resulted in more than $250 million in losses to the state’s conference and convention industry, according to a report released Thursday.

Canceled conferences have led to the loss of more than 2,700 jobs, about $86.5 million in wages for Arizona workers and nearly $10 million in tax revenue for the state, according to the study conducted by the consulting firm Elliott D. Pollack & Company for the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank. The study predicts the total damage to the conference industry could reach $388 million in coming years given the current rate of cancellations.

The study is the first to analyze the economic costs of the boycott. What this does tell us is that Arizona, like Minnesota, depends on their immigrant work force to provide economic support and that, without it, entire economies can suffer.

The change in small towns like Worthington, Willmar, and Austin has been met with resistance by many. However, most would acknowledge that immigrants in these towns have played a vital role in the survival of commerce, creating businesses that, in turn, create jobs. Families have set down roots, attend churches, children go to local schools, money is spent locally.

Minnesota towns are evolving. We as residents of this great state can choose to try and unsuccessfully stop the wheels of change or embrace the new dynamics that are cities provide. Arizona is proof that the economic impact of decisions to try and discourage settlement has unintended repercussions. In this time of economic downturn we need to embrace the new families that are helping save our small towns.

Minnesota towns Are Evolving

Las Ciudades de Minnesota están Evolucionando

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Conozca sus Leyes

En un artículo reciente de la revista “USA Today” indica que el boicot económico contra Arizona, realizado después de que el estado aprobó una ley de control de la inmigración en abril, se ha traducido en más de $ 250 millones en pérdidas para la industria de conferencias y de convenciones del Estado, según el informe publicado el jueves.

Conferencias canceladas han dado lugar a la pérdida de más de 2.700 empleos, alrededor de US $ 86,5 millones en salarios para los trabajadores de Arizona y cerca de $ 10 millones en ingresos fiscales para el estado, según el estudio realizado por la consultora Elliot D. Pollack & Company para el Centro de Progreso Americano, un estudio liberal de tendencia a la reflexión. El estudio predice que el daño total a la industria de la conferencia podría alcanzar los $ 388 millones en los próximos años dada la actual tasa de cancelaciones.

El estudio es el primero en analizar los costos económicos del boicot. Lo que esto nos dice es que Arizona, como Minnesota depende de su fuerza de trabajo inmigrante para apoyar resultado económico, y que sin ella, la economía entera puede sufrir.

El cambio en pequeñas ciudades como Worthington, Willmar, y Austin ha encontrado resistencia de muchos. Sin embargo, la mayoría reconoce que los inmigrantes en estas ciudades han jugado un papel vital en la supervivencia del comercio, la creación de empresas, que a su vez crea puestos de trabajo. Las familias han echado raíces, asisten a las iglesias, los niños van a las escuelas locales, y el dinero se gasta localmente.

Las ciudades de Minnesota están evolucionando. Nosotros, como habitantes de este gran estado podemos optar por intentar, sin éxito, detener la rueda del cambio, o abrazar las nuevas dinámicas que nuestras ciudades ofrecen. Arizona es prueba del impacto económico de las decisiones tomadas tratando de desalentar la colonización, y como tiene repercusiones no deseadas. En este momento de crisis económica, tenemos que aceptar las nuevas familias que están ayudando a salvar a nuestros pueblos.

Charter schools are public schools that are part of

Minnesota’s public education system. Every charter

school is a school district - but has no geographic

boundaries.


Nosotros demandamos a Colectores de Deudas

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MarkVavreck_ad.pdf 11/4/2010 2:24:16 PM

By Mark León Vavreck“El respeto al derecho ajeno es

la paz” Estas famosas palabras del Presidente Mexicano Benito Juárez son poéticas y ponderosas. Ocasionalmente podemos encontrarnos defendiendo a otros a costa de nuestros propios derechos.

Conociendo sus derechos de consumidor es el primer paso para conseguir seguridad financier y tranquilidad. Algunas veces incurrimos deudas que por una u otra razón no podemos pagar. Cuando esto ocurre, es importante saber el proceso y el procedimiento de la colección de una deuda.

Para empezar, es importante saber los derechos suyos y los del collector. Primeramente es illegal que un colector lo insulte o acose. El collector de deudas o abogado no tiene derecho a gritarle o abusar de usted verbalmente. Muchos colectores acostumbran algunas veces a amenazar a los consumidores con amenazas extrañas. Por ejemplo, amenazas diciendo que van a vender su casa, quitarle a su mascota o que lo van a deportar. Estas amenazas son despreciables, falsas e ilegales bajo el Acto de Prácticas Justas de Colección de Deudas (FDCPA). El FDCPA es una ley federal que protege a los consumidores contra los abusos y el acoso de abogados y colectores de deudas.

Una deuda es comúnmente enviada a un collector de deudas después de tres meses de no recibir pago. Normalmente, el collector envía cartas solicitando al consumidor que pague la deuda. Las cartas pueden ser acompañadas con llamadas telefónicas de la agencia de colección. De acuerdo al FDCPA, después de la comunicación inicial, ya sea por teléfono o por correo, el collector debe enviar un “aviso de validación”. El aviso de validación notifica al consumidor que tiene el derecho de disputer la deuda y de pedir verificación en un plazo de 30 días después de recibir el aviso. Frecuentemente, los consumidores no disputan la deuda ni piden verificación, siendo uno de los errores más comúnes. Todo lo que usted necesita hacer es redactor una carta indicando que usted quiere disputer y verificar su deuda. El colectores está obligado

Cobranzas de Deudas y Sus Derechos como

Consumidora parar todos los esfuerzos de colección hasta que la deuda sea verificada. Es ilegal que el colector envíe otra carta o llame al consumidor por teléfono antes de que la deuda sea verificada. Una vez que esté verificada, el proceso de reembolso continua. Aunque usted puede recibir varias cartas o llamadas telefónicas, por lo general después de la tercera carta el colector puede comenzar el proceso de colección ante un tribunal.

Cuando el colector lo demanda ante un tribunal, usted recibe el Citatorio y la Demanda, ya sea personalmente o por correo. El Citatorio suele confundir a muchas personas porque no contiene un número de archivo del tribunal. De hecho, comúnmente este documento no es sometido al tribunal. No obstante, es muy importante que usted actúe rápidamente si recibe estos documentos. Un Citatorio es generalmente un documento de una página que indica que “usted tiene 20 días no incluyendo la fecha de entrega para contestar a la Demanda”. Esto significa que si usted no contesta al colector ya sea admitiendo o negando cada párrafo que se encuentra en la Demanda en el plazo de 20 días, usted estará en defecto y el colector podrá obtener un juicio de defecto. Si esto sucede, usted tendrá una sentencia contra usted que puede afectar negativamente su reporte de crédito.

En este caso, el consumidor será contactado por el colector para pedir una declaración de valores que requiere enviar una declaración financiera indicando el nombre de su empleador e información bancaria. Es muy importante que usted llene completamente estos documentos y los envíe al colector de deudas. De lo contrario, el colector puede someter papeles adicionales al tribunal para su detención. El siguiente paso de este proceso es la congelación de cuentas bancarias hasta 25%.

Frecuentemente, los consumidores se sorprenden cuando se enteran que el colector ha congelado sus cuentas. El consumidor tiene el derecho de reclamar que cierta suma del dinero congelado sea exento.

continua en pagina 12

Conozca sus Leyes


By Jane MooreIn the course of her 39-year

career in education—nearly all of it in Worthington, Minnesota—Le Lucht has seen a lot of changes.

But being a person with a lifelong interest in people from other cultures, as well as a Spanish teacher, Lucht welcomes what she calls the “huge shift in demographics” that has transformed Worthington since she first moved here in 1967.

As the Worthington-based coordinator of diversity and multicultural affairs for the five campuses of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Lucht actively seeks out opportunities to spread cultural awareness among the constituencies the college serves.

“There’s been a huge increase in the number of people not only taking Spanish but also in students from all over the world here,” noted Lucht. “They’re studying nursing, math and science as well as technical programs, and we’ve started making a concerted effort to offer some ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to help bridge the gap between area adult basic education classes and the level of work required to help people make it in college.”

“We’re also seeing more and more diverse students qualifying for Phi Pheta Kappa, the community college honor society, and I’m thrilled to death with that,” added Lucht.

In the fall of 1999, only 3.2 percent of Minnesota West Community and Technical College students identified themselves as being of an ethnicity other than Caucasian. By the fall of 2004, that number had grown to 5.94 percent, and by fall 2009 it had reached 9.28 percent.

Even more dramatic is the growth in ethnic diversity experienced by Worthington’s School District 518.

“When I started here eight years ago,” recalled District 518 superintendent John Landgaard, “the district was about 32 percent diverse. Now we’re at about 53 percent, and the number of students overall in the district has increased from 2,300 to over 2,500 for the 2010-11 school year.”

Demographic data for 2009

An Education in Diversity

from the Minnesota Department of Education gives Worthington’s K-12 student breakdown as follows: 5 percent black, 11 percent Asian, 38 percent Hispanic and 46 percent white. Twelve percent of District 518 students were identified as possessing Limited English Proficiency, and 55 percent qualified for free or reduced lunches.

“This growth has necessitated facility changes, as well as expansion of our translation services, parent liaison programs and parent advocacy positions, some of which are made possible through grants,” detailed Landgaard. “We’ve also hired more ELL (English Language Learner) teachers to address the need, and made changes in our summer school and extended year offerings.”

District 518 employs two full-time Spanish translators, and another in a three-fourths time position, and has several other translators available on an as-needed basis to assist with conferences and parent meetings.

“This past summer, we started a lunch program for any kid under 18, because we’re trying to ensure that nutritious meals are received during the summer months,” explained Landgaard. “Plus, in today’s society, parents of all kinds are working more so kids are somewhat on their own at times.”

One way District 518 has attempted to encourage cross-cultural understanding over the past several years is via Spanish instruction at Prairie Elementary, home to roughly 1,000 students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

“Each classroom has Spanish instruction for 30 minutes every week,” shared Josh Noble, principal at Prairie Elementary. “Although it is minimal, it’s a wonderful way to introduce the Spanish language and culture to our elementary students. It’s also a great opportunity for some of our students who speak predominantly Spanish to ‘shine.’”

Spanish and German language classes are among the courses offered at Worthington High School.

“Forty to fifty years ago, you just didn’t see minority folks in

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continued on page 12



El consumidor puede presentar un Aviso de Exoneración donde puede enumerar todos sus bienes y/o dinero no sujeto a colección incluyendo Seguro Social, pensiones o beneficios públicos. Por consiguiente, el colector puede hacer un reclamo y hacer una objeción al tribunal. Si esto sucede, usted debe de hacer un pedido de audiencia con el tribunal en el plazo de 10 días o el colector tendrá el derecho de colectar todo el dinero.

Recuerdo que el abuso o acoso es ilegal y usted tiene el derecho de demandar al colector de deudas si sus derechos han sido violados. En estos casos, el colector ofrece un acuerdo financier o borran su deuda.

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Dan_WorldVentures_Spanish.pdf 11/4/2010 3:08:22 PM

Pero cuando no hay abuso o acoso, la negociación es generalmente la mejor herramienta.

El mejor momento para negociar con un acreedor o un colector de deudas es antes de recibir el Citatorio y la Demanda. Recuerde que el respeto al derecho ajeno empieza en el hogar.

Escrito por el abogado Mark Vavreck.

El es abogado en la oficina de leyes de Martineau, Gonko & Vavreck. También es un abogado voluntario con Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN). Si necesita asesoría legal, llámenos al: 612-659-9500 o 612-205-2960.

Cobranzas de Deudas y Sus Derechos como Consumidor



these numbers in southwestern Minnesota communities,” expressed Landgaard. “The landscape of rural America has changed, and we’ve seen that here and adjusted as necessary.”

“We live in a global society, which is very evident in our school district, and our kids and staff understand that and we function very well,” continued Landgaard.

A community outreach effort initiated by Lucht, of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, speaks to Landgaard’s observations.

“We started what we call ‘Culture Corner’ to provide a connection between Minnesota West and the community,” said Lucht. “Last fall, we had a Culture Corner event focused on Hispanic Heritage, with over 350 people showing up to hear snippets about the cultures of local residents from Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Guatemala.

“There was music, food, dancing and more,” revealed Lucht. “It was a phenomenal night, and it’s amazing how people from different backgrounds within the community

are truly willing to share their cultures with everyone else.”

Events like those are encouraging to Landgaard, whose District 518 staff members strive to celebrate the color and variety of local students while giving each student the educational tools he or she needs.

“We have a very good teaching and support staff that does a great job with our students,” asserted Landgaard, who has three children of his own in District 518 schools. “Do people have concerns? Yes, at times, but concerns always exist and for our staff it’s not about race—it’s about teaching and educating kids, and how to improve each kid as an individual.

“I like the direction things are going here, but in my career I know there is always room for improvement,” concluded Landgaard. “My background has allowed me to roll with things in our ever-changing district. You know, they say you can see the cup as either half full or half empty. The cup is full—in our case, I think the cup is really full.”


Education in Diversity

Charter schools are organized and operated as a Nonprofit Corporation under Chapter 317A or as

a Cooperative under Chapter 308A.

Charter schools are open to all who apply - if more students apply than the capacity of the

program, class, grade level or building, students are accepted through a lottery.


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By Jenna herzogMarketing and recruitment Coordinator, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota

President Obama has issued a proclamation designating January as National Mentoring Month. He stated, “Across our nation, mentors steer our youth through challenging times and support their journey into adulthood. During National Mentoring Month, we honor these important individuals who unlock the potential and nurture the talent of our country, and we encourage more Americans to reach out and mentor young people in their community.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters takes this opportunity to thank mentors for all they do to enrich the life of their Little Brother or Sister as well as expose them to new ideas and opportunities. January 13, 2011 has been declared National “Take Your Little to Work Day”. Mentors are encouraged to bring their Little

Brother or Sister to see where they work and what they do. The child can come for a lunch hour, the afternoon or the whole day.

Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota is recognizing their 400 mentors and seeking additional mentors. Currently, there are 147 children waiting for a mentor in Southern Minnesota. These children are between the ages of 4 and 14 and come from a variety of different backgrounds. Their need is simple, an additional positive role model. Mentors are asked to spend just one hour a week or a couple hours every other week with the child enjoying simple activities.

The impact of mentoring is proven. Children who are mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters are 46% less likely to begin using drugs and 27% less likely to begin using alcohol. They are also less likely to skip school, use violence or have conflict at home. In addition to the immediate positive impact children who are mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters are also eligible to receive the Annexstad Family Foundation Scholarship if they choose to continue their education past high school.

If you want to start something BIG this year and mentor a child or if you are interested in enrolling your child in Big Brothers Big Sisters call 1-866-459-5922 or visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota website at www.bbbsofsouthernmn.org

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Mentoring Program

Youth Focus

how are charter schools funded?Charter schools are funded by the

State of Minnesota on a per-pupil basis. in addition, charter schools receive state support for their facilities expenses because they cannot issue bonds or raise taxes through levies like other school districts. Charter schools currently receive up to three years of federal charter school start-up funding. Charter schools can qualify for federal title funding, English Language Learning, and special education funds.


1028 Ryan's Road | Worthington, MN 56187 | Grocery Dept. 507-372-5191 | Meat Dept. 507-372-5388Store Hours: Monday- Saturday 7a.m. - 9p.m. | Closed Sunday

We have afull-service meat departmentfresh bakery | fresh produce

& a large Hispanic section

Mission Statement:The mission of the Boy Scouts of

America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Vision Statement:The Boy Scouts of America will

prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over six million youth members in its age-related divisions. Since its founding in 1910 as part of the international Scout Movement, more than 110 million Americans have been members of the BSA this includes Presidents, CEO’s, Governors, Mayors, Scientists, and astronauts. The Boy Scouts of America celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary on February 8, 2010.

The traditional Scouting divisions are Cub Scouting for boys in grades first (1st) through fifth (5th), Boy Scouting for boys in grades sixth (6th) to twelfth (12th) and Venturing for young men and women ages fourteen (14) through twenty-one (21). The BSA operates traditional Scouting locally through units sponsored and operated by churches, clubs, civic associations, educational organizations and the like. Units are led entirely by volunteers who are supported

get to Know the Boy Scouts of America and

gamehaven Councilby local councils using both paid professionals and volunteers.

Local Boy Scout Council in Southeastern Minnesota

The Gamehaven Council located in Rochester, Minnesota serves seven counties in the Southeastern part of Minnesota. The counties that Gamehaven Council serves are: Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha and Winona.

The Gamehaven Council is interested in having Hispanic adult volunteers over the age of 21 to serve as Scout Mentors to youths of the Hispanic Community in their local area. The council has a large number of Spanish language resources (training videos and manuals, booklets, pamphlets, brochures, posters, fliers, public service announcements) available for unit volunteers to utilize. The goal is to help Hispanic parents understand the Scouting program. If parents understood the Scouting program in their native language, the likelihood of their volunteering to be Scout leaders would increase.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Boy Scout program, please contact Anthony DeBusk, Senior District Executive for the Gamehaven Council at 507.358.2536 or at email: [email protected]. Anthony is Hispanic and is a professional executive for the Gamehaven Council for the past five (5) years and his main responsibility is to serve the Olmsted County area.

Youth Focus

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Ask for Vicki Your local Adrian MN agent serving Southwest MN

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Do charter schools have admissions policies?

Charter schools are public schools and are, therefore, bound by public law that defines public school admission policies as nonsectarian, nondiscriminatory, and tuition free. Charter schools are open to all students free of charge.


Carolina Reyes, Miss Minnesota International 2010, is the Youth Focus Editor for Eventos Spanish & English Newspaper

Carolina Reyes joined the Eventos team last year as the Youth Focus Editor. Her job, in part, is to coordinate news and information regarding various youth organizations and topics from around Minnesota. The goal is to bring attention to these organizations and issues and how they can improve the lives of Minnesota youth.

Carolina’s platform as Miss Minnesota International is “Empowering Our Youth.” She volunteers and advocates on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Minnesota and works with other young professionals to help spread awareness of this amazing organization. “I was born to a teenage mother and life was a struggle,” Carolina says, “if it wasn’t for my family, their support and the role models in my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Carolina also started her own business, ATTITUDE, which offers personal development seminars, tools and work-shops to youth, parents and teachers. She believes that youth today need empowerment and the skills to make their dreams into a reality. She wants to teach youth how to

change their attitude toward life so they see their obstacles as motivation, instead of using it an excuse not to make something of themselves. “We are all in charge of our des-tiny in life, but it is up to us to teach youth this and help them learn how to attain the goals they have for

themselves.”

Helping people is Carolina’s passion. She believes that we can all have happi-ness in all aspects in our lives, which is why she also part-nered with the Wellness Company. She is a Marketing Executive with the company and is al-ways searching for other like-minding people who want personal, physical, financial and environmental wellness in their lives. More information on this opportunity can be found in the ad in this month’s publication on page 21.

Carolina is looking for ideas, topics and interests from Eventos readers for future Youth Focus articles. You can contact her at [email protected].

“My role at Eventos provides me a platform from which I can speak with and provide youth with the knowledge, process and tools that are vital to them to achieve their

dreams and goals.”

- Carolina Reyes

Youth Focus

coming

St. Paul

St. Cloud

Rochester 9.10.11

Moorhead

Shakopee 11.26.11

soon to...

What: MultiCultural Diversity Resource EXPO and Quinceanera & Latino Wedding ExtravaganzaWhen: Saturday, September 10, 2011 (11:AM - 5:PM)Who: College-Bound High School Students checking out Colleges; Parents looking for Education, Employment, Health Care, Housing, & Immigration Services Information. Quinceaneras & Brides looking for products & services at this unique "one-stop-shop" eventWhere: Rochester, MN (Graham Arena 2)Activities: Mariachis, Food Vendors, Culturally-Speci�c Performance Groups, Quinceanera/Bridal Fashion Shows, Fun Land for Kids; Quinceanera Dream-Prize Package Drawing; Door PrizesAdmission at the Door: Kids (0-11) - Free; Big Kids (12-17) - $4.00; Adults (18+) - $7.00; Mom & Dad - $10.00. Register on line, in advance, for FREE admission. Go here: http://diversityresource.eventbrite.com. Discount Code: DC110910Exhibitors: 100Attendance: 2,500 - 4,000Attendance (Quinceaneras/Brides): 700 - 1,400Media Promotion: Radio, TV, Newspaper, Flyers, Posters, Free Ticket Give-Aways, Social Media

FEAT

URIN

G

EXHIBITSplus . . .

. . . product/service exhibits.

Register On-line, in Advance, for FREE AdmissionContact: [email protected]

6.18.11


By Amber Warnemunde Local Creative Memories

Consultant Amber Warnemunde offers digital solutions for celebrating and sharing memories

Of course, we all know that preparations for a quinceañera often begin a year or more in advance. There are guest lists to make, invitations to order, the mass to schedule, reception site, entertainment, food, limo, attendants, photos, and the list seems endless.

It’s sometimes so easy to get caught so caught up in “the list” that you can easily miss out on some really great ideas to enhance your quinceañera. For example, have you thought about making your own invitations…invitations that look like they come straight from the catalog? Have you even thought about how you can best preserve and display your keepsake photos after the celebration? Well, you may want to consider what I have discovered to be a very creative and affordable way to preserve, share, and celebrate your precious photos and stories for years to come.

Let me introduce you to your new friends-Memory Manager and Storybook Creator software. Memory Manager is a one-stop-shop digital media library and workshop that can organize and safely store your digital images, video and audio clips, as well as enhance, crop, and edit your most memorable photos.

Storybook Creator software allows you to create customized photo projects such as save the dates, invitations, thank you cards, place cards, guest books, and even photo books to just name a few. This fun and simple software allow you to choose from a blank page or choose from hundred of exclusively-designed templates in a variety of themes. Storybooks and photo projects are available in a variety of sizes and allow you to add your unique personal touch to create a priceless heirloom. All you need is a PC and Storybook Creator and anyone can create professional quality projects and hardbound story books. Use your imagination and creativity to see what one-of-a-kind project you can create!

Memory Manager and Storybook Creator Software should appeal to anyone with digital images who would like to create a special keepsake showcasing their photos and stories. Storybook Creator makes it easy for you to be creative-you can easily complete a page that looks like it was from a photographer and you completed it in minutes!

To learn more about these new digital products, contact Creative Memories at www.creativememories.com. For personal assistance please contact Creative Memories Independent Consultant Amber Warnemunde at 507-838-5721, or www.mycmsite.com/sites/amberwarnemunde, or [email protected]

Creative Memories offers state-of-the-art digital software and photo books

Quince Corner

Charter schools are staffed by teachers

with appropriate Minnesota teaching

licensure or credentials.




Bridges and Bumps: Worthington Progresses on the road to a Successful, Diverse Community

Puentes y baches: Worthington Avanza por el Camino del éxito en una Comunidad Diversa

City and county statistics illustrate the situation: the 2008 median house value in Nobles County was $76,700, while the state average that year was $212,500; Worthington’s 2009 rental housing vacancy rate was zero percent and the median Nobles County rent in 2008 was $534 per month.

In 2007, 20.5 percent of county homeowners spent more than 30 percent of their annual income on housing costs; that same year, 48.6 percent of county renters also put more than 30 percent of their income for housing.

“Our community challenges are not necessarily reflective of ethnicities, but of the community as a whole,” shared Chapulis.

And despite having one of the state’s lowest unemployment rates as of December 2010—4.6 percent in Worthington, vs. the state average of 6.8 percent—Nobles County’s poverty rate, assessed in 2008, was 13.4 percent.

“Clearly, wages haven’t kept up,” observed Chapulis, “so we’re working on strengthening our economic development efforts in the community and encouraging all employers to pay a fair wage.”

Also, an influx of often non-English-speaking residents from less developed countries sometimes means it is harder for agencies and officials of all kinds to share vital information about things like city ordinances, housing codes and even commonly accepted neighborhood practices such as yard maintenance and snow removal.

“It can be a struggle because most of the immigrants come from a different lifestyle than what we’ve been used to,” expressed Alan Oberloh, Worthington’s mayor since 2002 and a longtime city resident. “What they consider quality housing versus what a long-time community member thinks may be a lot different. Just educating our new citizens on what it means to be a Minnesotan, and how to keep up your place, are big things.

“And I don’t care who you are, nobody should have to live in sub-standard housing.”

Oberloh is also frustrated by the lack of forward motion on a federal basis when it comes to an immigration reform bill, noting that its absence essentially creates a sub-class of citizens and makes things harder for those who are legally here.

Not everyone is as quick to welcome new minority residents as are others, so long-term acceptance of what is obviously Worthington’s new and continuing reality is another obstacle.

For instance, the recent revitalization of Worthington’s Peace Avenue of Flags—a

organización fundamental no cambia tan dramáticamente en un corto plazo de tiempo sin encontrarse con algunas dificultades.

Un desafío permanente en Worthington, por ejemplo, es la escasez de viviendas accesibles. El mercado de alquiler ha estado sumamente limitado por años, y no es raro que los recién llegados paguen más de lo que razonablemente pueden por alojamientos que, aun así, puede estar por debajo de lo establecido.

“La vivienda sigue siendo un desafío para nuestra comunidad, y probablemente siempre estará a la vanguardia de nosotros”, admitió Brad Chapulis, quien ha sido Director de Desarrollo Comunitario en los últimos 12 años. “El problema no es la raza de las personas como lo es el costo de la construcción.”

Las estadísticas de la ciudad y del condado muestran que la situación: en el 2008 el valor de una casa mediana en el condado de Nobles era de $76,700, mientras que el promedio ese año en el estado fué de $212,500. En el 2009 en Worthington, la tasa de viviendas de alquiler vacantes fué del 0 % y en el 2008 la renta promedio en el condado Noble fué de $534 por mes.

En el 2007, el 20.5 % de propietarios en el condado gastó más del 30 % de sus ingresos anuales en gastos de vivienda; ese mismo año, el 48.6 % de los inquilinos del condado también pusieron más del 30 % de sus ingresos para pagar vivienda.

“Nuestra comunidad enfrenta desafíos que no son necesariamente el reflejo de los grupos étnicos, sino de la comunidad en conjunto”, compartió Chapulis.

Y a pesar de tener Worthington durante Marzo del 2010 una de las tasas más bajas de desempleo del 4.6% en comparación a la tasa promedio del estado del 6.8% -- en el 2008 el condado de Nobles la tasa de pobreza, fué evaluada, en un 13.4%.

“Claramente, los salarios no se han mantenido”,observó Chapulis, “así que estamos trabajando para fortalecer nuestro desarrollo económico de la comunidad y alentando a todos los empleadores a pagar un salario justo”.

También, una afluencia frecuente de personas provenientes de países menos desarrollados y que no hablan Inglés a veces significa que es más difícil para los organismos y funcionarios de todo tipo compartir la información vital acerca de cosas tales como ordenanzas de la ciudad, códigos de la vivienda e incluso prácticas comunes del vecindario como mantenimiento de jardínes y remoción de nieve.

“Puede ser una lucha porque la mayoría de los inmigrantes proceden de un estilo de vida diferente de lo que han estado acostumbrados”, expresó Alan Oberloh, Alcalde de Worthington desde el 2002 y

bright display along two of the town’s main streets of more than 70 flags representing the nationalities of the county’s diverse ethnic makeup—resulted in at least one angry letter-to-the-editor in the local paper decrying the project.

But on the whole, most Worthington residents, whether new or old, have come to appreciate the benefits a diverse community can bring, and most are making an effort to, if not embrace the changes, at least come to terms with an evolution that increasingly seems to be the town’s future.

“We’ve got selection that would be the envy of a lot of places as far as food and shopping experiences go,” proclaimed Mayor Oberloh.

“I believe we’ve grown a lot as a town and have become more accepting of other cultures,” offered Velázquez. “It’s pretty amazing how our town celebrates our annual International Festival [held on a weekend each July], especially compared to the towns around us.”

Within Worthington’s District 518, student involvement is gradually becoming more integrated, and that may be the key to ensuring a healthy, educated community in years to come.

“All of our co- and extra-curricular activities are reaching out to the diverse population,” affirmed Lori Dudley, a two-term school board member and parent of four children. “Our orchestra, for example, incorporates kids from all ethnicities. Your heart just wants to stop when you see all that color, all those kids from different backgrounds playing cooperatively together, and how positive that is.”

Velázquez was one of those orchestra students; she also studied piano for 10 years and was a trumpeter in the high school band, a dance line member, a soccer and cross country teammate, a speech team participant and a peer mentor, among other things.

Now, as a college freshman, she reflects on her youth in Worthington.

“I’m glad my dad chose to come here, and from the stories he’s told me, he said it’s been hard at times but when he sees how far we’ve come, it’s all been worth it,” revealed Velázquez. “Every time I feel like giving up on stuff, I remind myself of what my dad went through, and that keeps me motivated.”

antiguo residente de la ciudad. “Lo que ellos consideran viviendas de calidad versus lo que un antiguo miembro de la comunidad opina, puede ser muy diferente”. Tan solo educar a nuestros nuevos ciudadanos acerca de lo que significa ser un Minnesotan, y cómo mantener su lugar, son cosas importantes.

“Y no me importa quién eres, nadie debe vivir en una vivienda por debajo de lo establecido”

Oberloh también está frustrado por la falta de iniciativa sobre un proyecto de ley para una reforma migratoria, señalando que, la ausencia de esta, esencialmente crea una sub-categoría de ciudadanos y hace las cosas más difíciles para aquellos que están aquí legalmente.

No todos aceptan y dan la bienvenida tan rápido como otros a los nuevos residentes de grupos minoritarios, de manera que la aceptación a largo plazo es un nuevo obstáculo y una realidad de Worthington.

Por ejemplo, la reciente revitalización de la “Paz Avenue of Flags”, la cual muestra un brillante despliegue de más de 70 banderas a lo largo de las dos calles principales del pueblo, representando las diversas nacionalidades que conforman el condado--resultó por lo menos en una airada carta el editor del periódico local criticando el proyecto.

Pero sobre todo, la mayoría de los residentes de Worthington ya sean viejos o nuevos han venido a apreciar los beneficios que puede aportar una comunidad diversa, y la mayoría están haciendo un esfuerzo para, sino adaptarse a los cambios, por lo menos aceptar una evolución que cada vez parece ser mas el futuro de la ciudad.

“Tenemos una selección que sería la envidia de muchos lugares en cuanto a experiencias en compras y comida” proclamó el Alcalde Oberloh.

“Creo que hemos crecido mucho como pueblo y se ha vuelto más tolerante hacia otras culturas” dijo Velázquez. “Es asombroso ver cómo el pueblo celebra cada año nuestro Festival International [celebrado en un fin de semana de cada mes de Julio], especialmente en comparación, con otros pueblos alrededor de nosotros”.

Dentro del Distrito 518 de Worthington, la participación estudiantil esta haciéndose gradualmente más integrada, y eso puede ser la clave para garantizar,una comunidad más educada y saludable en los años por venir.

“Todas nuestras actividades extra-escolares, están acercándose a la población diversa”, afirmó Lori Dudley, miembro de la junta escolar por dos périodos y padre de cuatro hijos. “Nuestra orquesta, por ejemplo, incorpora niños de todas las etnias. Tú corazón simplemente quiere dejar de latir cuando miras todo ese color, y a todos esos niños de diferentes orígenes jugando cooperativamente y ver lo positivo que es eso”.

Velázquez fué una de esos estudiantes de la orquesta; y también estudió piano por 10 años fué trompetista en la banda de la Preparatoria (High School) miembro de un grupo de danza, así como también miembro de un grupo de carrera de campo y de un equipo de futbol soccer, participante de un grupo de oratoria y compañero mentor,


entre otras cosas.Ahora, como estudiante de primer año en

la Universidad, ella reflexiona acerca de su juventud en Worthington.

“Estoy contenta de que mi papá haya escogió venir aquí, y por las historias que me ha contado, fué duro en ocasiones, pero cuando ve hasta donde hemos llegado, entonces siente que todo ha valido la pena”, reveló Velázquez. “Cada vez que siento como que quiero renunciar a algo, me recuerdo a mi misma por lo que mi papá atravesó, y eso me mantiene motivada”.


Cualquier día domingo entre mayo y octubre usted encontrará en el campo de Buss, que se encuentra al lado suroeste de Worthington, bullicioso actividad con mas de 1,000 aficionados del fútbol, todos ansiosos de disfrutar un día de relajamiento y esparcimiento.

Los jugadores con sus brillantes uniformes gritan y sudan mientras que sus aficionados gozan de la actividad, comprando comida de la taquerilla “Tacos Lupe” o de los vendedores de chicharrones y paletas.

“La liga de fútbol de Worthington tiene alrededor de 24 equipos, con un total de casi 500 jugadores,” menciona Jenny Anderson-Martinez, administradora de Servicios Humanos de la fabrica JBS, de carne de puerco. “La fabrica JBS siempre ha apoyado la liga local de fútbol, y además hemos aportado fondos para los baños y instalaciones del parque y del campo de Buss.”

Con un estimado de unos 2,400 empleados, la fabrica JBS es el empresario mas grande del pueblo, que cuenta con unos 12,000 habitantes. La demográfica inicial de 2010 de empleados de JBS refleja que 42% de los empleados son Hispanos, 24% son Asiáticos, 23% son Afro Americanos, y 11% Anglo Sajones. Por lo tanto el apoyar la liga local de fútbol es una manera lógica de ayudar a los empleados de JBS a disfrutar de su tiempo libre y sentirse cómodo en lo que es para muchos, una comunidad nueva.

“La demográfica de Worthington esta compuesta así mayormente debido a la fabrica JBS,” asegura Andersen-Marinez, tomando en cuenta que el promedio de empleados dejando el trabajo fue un modesto 11 porcentaje por los primeros 6 meses de 2010. “Mi equipo esta muy entregado a ayudar a los demás a tener éxito en la comunidad mayor, y queremos verles no solo asimilarse en la comunidad pero también integrarse en ella. Queremos que sus hijos tengan éxito también, así que

On any given Sunday morning from May through October, Buss Field on the southeast edge of Worthington is bustling with more than 1,000 soccer fans and spectators, all eager to enjoy a day of relaxation and recreation.

Competitors in colorful uniforms scream and sweat as cheering fans and families revel in the action, taking time out to purchase food from the Tacos Lupe wagon or from cart vendors peddling chicharrones and paletas.

“The Worthington adult soccer league has around 24 teams, with close to 500 players,” estimated Jenny Andersen-Martinez, human resources director at Worthington’s JBS pork processing plant. “JBS has always been very supportive of the local soccer league, and we’ve provided funds for the park and restroom facilities at Buss Field, too.”

With a Worthington employee base of roughly 2,400, JBS is the largest employer in this town of about 12,000 people. And with an employee demographic in the first portion of 2010 showing JBS’s breakdown as 42 percent Hispanic, 24 percent Asian, 23 percent black and 11 percent white, supporting the local soccer league is a natural way for JBS to help its employees enjoy their time off and feel comfortable in what is, for many, a new community.

“Worthington’s demographic makeup is what it is largely because of JBS,” asserted Andersen-Martinez, noting the employee turnover rate at JBS for the first six months of 2010 was a respectable 11 percent. “My team is passionate about helping people succeed in the greater community, and we want to see them not just assimilate but integrate. We want their kids to succeed, as well, so we do a lot of things above and beyond what most companies do to ensure that success outside of the workplace.

“We’re very sensitive to the fact our employees are only here at JBS for eight hours a day, so we’ve got to make sure

hacemos mas de lo que hacen la mayoría de los empresarios para asegurar que tengan éxito afuera de su empleo también.

“Estamos muy concientes de que nuestros empleados están aquí en JBS solo 8 horas al día, así que tenemos que asegurar que tengan una vida aparte del trabajo y que Worthington se convierte en un hogar para ellos-no solo un lugar donde ganan la sustancia del día.”

Para lograr esas metas, entre los empleados que trabajen con Andersen-Martinez están incluidos por los menos dos personas que trabajan como enlace con la comunidad con la comisión de ayudar a los empleados nuevos a ponerse en contacto con los recursos locales que les podrían ser útiles, como Ingles Como Segunda Idioma, iglesias o templos, hospitales y clínicas, servicios financieros, servicios sociales, agentes de bienes y raíces, clases educativas del desarrollo de los niños, entre otras cosas. Además, un sucursal de Fulda Area Credit Union se encuentra en el mismo sitio de la fabrica, y los agentes de bienes y raíces llevan a cabo visitas regulares al mismo sitio para ayudar a los empleados a explorar sus opciones de vivienda.

JBS incluso ha construido una “casa postiza” (6m. por 3m.’) en la pared de la instalación. El proyecto se llama el “Centro Informativo de Vivienda” y no solo incluye anuncios de las propiedades de venta en el área, pero también incluye información del proceso de comprar un casa, financiación, y mantenimiento del hogar, etc.

“La idea es de educar nuestros empleados sobre la compra de una casa, a llevar la información a ellos en un entorno donde ellos se sienten cómodos, o sea, su lugar de empleo,” menciona Andersen-Martinez. “Ha sido todo un éxito.”

“Incluso ayudamos a fijar citas para las personas que quieren buscar una vivienda, o ayudarles a coordinar transporte para el trabajo, si es necesario,” ella añadió. “Las barreras del idioma pueden ser un problema con muchas otras cosas también, como instalar los servicios públicos, y queremos que empiezan de una manera positiva.”

Al parecer, JBS esta teniendo éxito, porque aparte de un numero disminúyete de personas saliendo del trabajo, y un alto porcentaje (90%) de empleados de administración habiendo siendo promovidos de producción, otras organizaciones han reconocido lo entregado que esta JBS con sus empleados.

Para ilustrarlo, Lifetrack Resources nombró a JBS el Empresario del Año de 2007 y en 2009 el “Edificador de la Comunidad” por su “dedicación y por proveer trabajos y por haber ayudado a los nuevos empleados a integrarse en la comunidad.” Lutheran Social Services también nombró a JBS el Empresario del Año 2008, y Vietnamese Social Services reconoció a Andersen-Martinez y JBS “por sus esfuerzos en ayudar a las familias inmigrantes y refugiados hallar su lugar en

they have a life outside of work and that Worthington is a home for them—not just a place to earn a paycheck.”

To achieve those goals, Andersen-Martinez’s staff includes at least two community liaison people whose mission is to assist new employees in connecting with all the local resources they and their families might need—English as a second language classes, churches or temples, hospital and clinics, financial services, social services, realtors and early childhood instruction, among other possibilities. In addition, a branch of the Fulda Area Credit Union is on site at the plant, and local realty representatives make regular on-site visits to assist employees in exploring housing options.

JBS has even built a “mock home” (20’ x 10’) on a wall in the facility. The project is called the “Housing Information Center” and includes not only postings of available properties for sale in the area, but also information on the home-buying process, financing, home maintenance, etc.

“The idea is to educate our employees on home buying, to bring the information to them, in a setting where they feel comfortable—their workplace,” detailed Andersen-Martinez. “It has been very successful.”

“We even help line up appointments for people to scout out housing, or help them coordinate rides to work if necessary,” she added. “Language barriers can be a problem with many other things as well, like setting up utilities, and we want them to start off on the right foot.”

JBS must be doing something right; besides a declining employee turnover rate and a high level (90 percent) of management employees having been promoted from production, outside organizations have recognized JBS’s ongoing and increasing commitment to its employees.

For instance, Lifetrack Resources named JBS Employer of the Year in 2007 and a “Community Builder” in 2009 “for dedication to providing jobs and helping new employees integrate into the community.” Lutheran Social Services also named JBS Employer of the Year in 2008, and Vietnamese Social Services recognized Andersen-Martinez and JBS “for their efforts in helping refugee and immigrant families find their place in American society.”

Other ways JBS attempts to ease the transition for new employees and reach out to them include ethnic food in the recently expanded and remodeled on-site cafeterias, plus critical information relayed to employees in their native languages while, at the same time, they are actively encouraged to improve their English skills.

“I think JBS has forged a real partnership with the key players of the community—the schools, Community Education, the Nobles County Integration Collaborative, the police department and social services,”

Empresario JBS de Worthington se Esfuerza

para Ayudar a Sus Empleados a Formar Parte

de la ComunidadWorthington Employer

JBS Strives to help Employees integrate into

the Community




Now Enrolling6, 7, & 8 grade

Come enroll your child for the 2010-2011 school yearOpen House every Thursday 5:30-6:30 pm

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)Creating A Culture for Success

Richard Allen Math & Science Academy5140 Fremont Avenue NorthMinneapolis, MN 55430Phone: 612.559.5200E-mail: [email protected]: www.ramsaacademy.org

Education

in 1991, Minnesota launched an initiative designed to unleash education from the conventions that limited educational achievement, choice and innovation. the initiative created “public charter schools” - independent public schools focused on improving academic achievement and creating new, different and innovative learning environments; teaching methodologies; assessments; accountability systems; and professional development opportunities for teachers.

today, thirty nine states and the District of Columbia and several foreign countries are part of the charter school movement. in the United States alone there are over 4,900 schools that enroll over 1.4 million young people.

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are public K-12 schools started by parents, teachers, and/or community members who apply for a “charter,” which defines the school’s specific mission and goals, and how these goals will be measured. Charter schools must be sponsored by a authorizer, who then files an affidavit of intent to sponsor a charter school with the state for approval. Authorizers of charter schools may be non-profit organizations, foundations, local school districts, intermediate school districts, or post-secondary institutions. Charter schools are accountable to their authorizers, parents and families, the state, and the public for achieving measurable results in student achievement and for implementing fiscally sound management. Charter schools are extremely diverse in their focuses. From project-based high schools to arts-intensive schools to online learning and technology-focused schools, the missions of charter schools in Minnesota vary widely. Since charter schools are public schools, they are open to anyone, free of charge. if you are interested in finding out about a specific charter school, please visit our Charter School Directory for more information. What is the difference between a charter school and other public schools?

Charter schools are public schools that are site-based and managed, meaning that parents, teachers, and local community members choose the people who govern the operation of the school. Charter schools elect their own school boards to oversee all aspects of the school’s mission, goals, and operations. the autonomy charter schools enjoy creates an environment where creativity and innovation in teaching and learning flourish. In addition, charter schools often have a particular approach to education or focus for their programs that differentiates them from other schools. For example, some charter schools focus on experiential learning, or Core Knowledge, or project-based learning, or technology. often, charter schools have smaller enrollments than neighboring district schools offering smaller class sizes and lower student to teacher ratios. how are charter schools doing in Minnesota?

the charter school sector in Minnesota continues to grow. in the 2009-2010 school year, over 35,000 students in Minnesota attended 153 charter schools. As charter schools continue to succeed in serving students and families who seek innovative, unique, and creative environments for teaching and learning, the charter school sector will continue to grow. Performance information for individual schools can be found through the Minnesota Department of Education which releases a report card for every public school in the state outlining a school’s performance in academic achievement, school safety, student participation, parent satisfaction, and overall financial management.

Learning About Charter Schools

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la sociedad Americana.” Además JBS intenta facilitar la

transición para empleados nuevos al incluir comida étnica en las cafeterías recién ampliadas que se encuentran en la planta, y de compartir información critica en los propios idiomas del empleado, mientras que, a la vez están siendo encomiados a mejorar sus capacidades lingüísticas aprendiendo el Ingles.

“Pienso que JBS ha forjado una verdadera asociación con los miembros claves de la comunidad-las escuelas, Community Education, el Integration Collaborative del condado de Nobles, el Departamento de Policía, y Servicios Sociales,” relata Andersen-Martinez. “Como empresario, queremos que las personas se sienten cómodos aquí, que puedan establecerse aquí a largo plazo y ser miembros productivos de nuestra comunidad.”

Invertirse en ese comunidad por lo tanto, es otro lazo importante que JBS desea fortalecerse.

Aparte de apoyar la liga de fútbol previamente mencionado, JBS y sus empleados son contribuidores principales al fondo de United Way en Worthington. JBS donó $500,000 a la campaña recién para la nueva instalación de YMCA en Worthington, un proyecto de $9.6 dólares, y JBS contribuye generosamente a una lista larga de festivales anuales de la comunidad. JBS y el UFCW local manejan entre si un fondo “multi-cultural”, lo cual ha permitido el poder llevar a cabo celebraciones de otras culturas que de otro modo no hubieron podido haber hecho. Algunas de las celebraciones patrocinadas de esta manera incluyen la International Festival, una celebración anual Africano, el Ethiopian Easter Festivities,, un evento Cinco de Mayo, las actividades del Lao New Year, y mas.

El director de nuestra unión local, Mike Potter, también ha respaldado desde hace mucho cada uno de estos eventos culturales. Nosotros realmente disfrutamos de aprender mas acerca de las culturas representadas por nuestros empleados y miembros

related Andersen-Martinez. “As an employer, we want people to feel when they come here that this can be a home, that they can be here on a long-term basis and be productive members of our community.”

Investing in that community, then, is another important link JBS seeks to strengthen.

Besides supporting the aforementioned soccer league, JBS and its employees are annual and major contributors to the Worthington Area United Way fund. JBS gave $500,000 to the recent campaign for the new, $9.6 million Worthington Area YMCA facility, and JBS generously contributes to a long line of annual community festivals. JBS and the local UFCW jointly manage a “Multi-cultural fund,” which has helped many of the cultures hold celebrations they might not otherwise be able to afford. Some of the annual ethnic celebrations sponsored include the International Festival, an annual African celebration, the Ethiopian Easter festivities, a Cinco de Mayo event, the Lao New Year activities and more.

“The president of our local union, Mike Potter, has also been a long-time supporter of each of these cultural events. We thoroughly enjoy learning more about the different cultures represented by our employees and their union members,” added Andersen-Martinez, who noted JBS’s employees come from 36 different countries.

JBS is also a significant financial supporter of the Community Connectors program, which is an important tool and resource for local immigrants and refugees.

JBS’s Worthington roots date to the 1960s when Armour first opened a pork processing plant here. The decades have seen the plant change ownership—and philosophy--from Armour to Monfort to Swift to Swift & Co. and, in 2007, to the Brazilian-headquartered JBS.

“We go way above and beyond in doing everything possible to ensure that people who work for us are eligible to work legally,”



Empresario JBS de Worthington se Esfuerza para Ayudar a Sus Empleados a Formar Parte de la

Comunidad

Worthington Employer JBS Strives to help Employees integrate into Community




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Arts opportunities Abound in Worthington

“I really think the arts are a reflection of the best expression of who we are,” professed Margaret Hurlbut Vosburgh, manager of Worthington’s Memorial Auditorium Performing Arts Center since 1995. “The arts events that take place both at Memorial Auditorium and throughout our community are positioned to renew our hearts and bring people together.”

In her 15-plus years of programming season arts series for the general public, overseeing student theater productions and talent shows, facilitating rentals and supervising school music groups, Vosburgh has taken a proactive approach to involving people of all backgrounds and ethnicities at the city of Worthington’s unique performing arts building.

Originally constructed in 1931, the roughly 750-seat auditorium boasts a classic art deco style and was first attached to the former Worthington senior and junior high schools.

Now a free-standing structure that is currently undergoing a renovation and expansion made possible by a half-cent sales tax approved by the local citizenry in November 2008, Memorial Auditorium is home to a variety of arts performances annually.

“When I curate a season, I look at bringing in groups that will

appeal to a large audience base,” shared Vosburgh.

Some of the acts Vosburgh has brought to Worthington in the past few years include Ballet Folklorico, the Peking Acrobats, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir.

“I also program a student theater series each year, and that exposes a wide cross-section of our very diverse student population to the auditorium and the arts in general,” said Vosburgh. A few of those recent student performances were “Ferdinand the Bull,” “Through the Eyes of a Friend: the Story of Anne Frank,” “Buffalo Soldier” (about African-American soldiers in the Spanish-American War), “Help Wanted,” which addressed the history of impoverished immigrants seeking a better life in Minnesota, and “Manzi,” the story of Latino civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.

“Everyone comes with their own stories,” Vosburgh asserted, “and in our community, my, we have a lot of them to tell.”

Vosburgh is openly passionate about the arts and their ability to make connections between people from varying backgrounds, so for her, Memorial Auditorium provides one of Worthington’s most ideal sites for uniting the “old guard” residents with the newer influx of immigrants, whatever their original country of origin may be.

“The arts can really help people to become part of their communities,” expressed Vosburgh. “Even if only a few of the students ‘get it’ and want to keep having more arts experiences, what more can you ask for?”


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There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Worthington’s institutional efforts at integrating its diverse community and educating a new immigrant population have been successful, but if you like hard data, Jerry Fiola is happy to provide some numbers.

“We have nine different ESL (English as a second language) classes for adults going on to accommodate a variety of schedules,” began Fiola, the District 518 Community Education director since 1984. “Since establishing our Even Start family literacy program in 1996, which covers early childhood, adult basic education and parent education under one umbrella, we have aided roughly 250 families—and our program is one of only four in Minnesota receiving grant funds for this purpose.

“After receiving some federal grant dollars in 2001 for an English literacy/civics education program, we’ve had about 120 people achieve citizenship through those classes,” continued Fiola. “And now, with the help of another 21st Century grant, we’re starting a new ‘Soccer and Scouting’ program initiated by the national Boy Scouts organization. We have about 115 boys and girls from grades 1 through 5 signed up for that.”

Fiola has aggressively sought grant assistance wherever possible to provide educational and integrative opportunities for Worthington’s diverse populace.

“With the relative suddenness and size of the change here in Worthington, and considering we have the most diverse community in outstate Minnesota, we’ve done a good job of accommodating these changes,” suggested Fiola, who has spent most of his life in southwest Minnesota. “People, for the most part, are welcoming to newcomers, and they in turn seem to feel it’s a pretty nice place to live and raise

a family.”Another local initiative in

which Fiola has had a hand is the Community Connectors program, which helps newcomers become aware of and access community resources of all kinds. In 2003, Fiola’s department received the first 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant, a federal funding opportunity intended primarily to develop out-of-school activities for at-risk students.

“Here, we had a strong focus on working with immigrant and refugee families, although it was not exclusively for them, and our program created bilingual parent liaison positions,” clarified Fiola. “That funding also enabled us to add the varsity soccer program at Worthington High School in 2004, and we attempted to create infrastructures within the schools to support involvement of our diverse populations.”

In addition, community education classes have been offered to adult immigrants in their native languages—things like cake decorating, sewing and computer instruction in Spanish or Laotian.

Working near Fiola’s office and in concert with his efforts is Sharon Johnson, director of the Nobles County Integration Collaborative (NCIC) since 2004. “There’s a real commitment to collaboration here and not a lot of duplication of effort,” affirmed Johnson, who notes the NCIC traces its origins to 1999 when the Minnesota legislature first passed the Desegregation Rule and provided revenue for integration services. Worthington was selected as one of the state’s target communities because it was classified as a racially isolated district, with significantly more diversity than surrounding districts.

“We partner with five area school districts to promote cultural

integration and student success,” explained Johnson. “Our most successful programs are the out-of-school programs for secondary kids. They are truly getting at closing the achievement and opportunities gap between ethnically diverse students and their white peers.”

Johnson noted that each program works toward the same five goals: academic achievement, cultural competence, leadership development, college and career exploration, and civic engagement. Some of those she oversees include Dynamic 507, which focuses on service learning; Youth Diversity Corps, a drama group; Six Steps, a hip-hop dance group; Odyssey, an academic assistance and career exploration program; and Circle Mentoring, which is an ambassadors program that helps new students transition into the local high school.

“We have a significant number of students in these programs, and, although it’s slow progress, we have seen improvement in GPAs and graduation rates of the ethnically diverse students involved,” shared Johnson. “At least we’re going in the right direction.”

“Another program that has really helped with the graduation rate is the PASS program, which we co-sponsor with Community Education,” added Johnson. “PASS is a nine-week plan that helps parents understand how to effectively navigate the school system and advocate on behalf of their child or children. We’ve had over 600 people graduate from PASS in the past four years.”

Johnson also brings together area fifth-grade students for an annual “Kindness” retreat, and area seventh-grade students for an annual “Courage” retreat.

“Students participating in these programs are gaining experience from many cultures and

perspectives, as well as character education,” assured Johnson. “I think the integration between multiple school districts has been beneficial for all of the students, because we are definitely becoming more of a global society.”

Andy Johnson, executive director of the Worthington Area YMCA, can attest to that.

“There is undoubtedly an increase of folks using the Y who are members of the diverse population groups,” confirmed Andy Johnson, who has been in Worthington for 11 years. “On November 1, 2009, we opened a brand-new, 45,000 square-foot, $9.6 million facility, so our membership has grown by 1,000 since then, but for example, 11 years ago we had zero minorities in our co-ed and women’s adult volleyball leagues and now they make up nearly 50 percent of our league players.”

The vast majority of kids in the Y’s youth soccer program—

Programs Plus People Equals Progress in

WorthingtonJohnson estimates 90 percent—were minorities, and he confirms that the Y is “trying to be very intentional about ensuring that our board will be representative of our community.”

“We are pleased that the Y is becoming more reflective of our local population,” he added.

Sharon Johnson notes that in Worthington at large, there has been more effort in recent years to hire people of color and bilingual individuals into professional positions (such as at banks, clinics, schools, businesses and family services), and, to her, that indicates a broader desire to be a truly integrated community.

“Ultimately, it’s about building relationships, which isn’t always easy,” admitted Johnson, “but we’ll keep working on it because if we’re just living side-by-side and not interacting, we haven’t been successful.”


Number of Operating Charter Schools: 149(2010-2011)

Number of Enrolled Students: 35,000 (2009-2010)

Charter schools are funded by the State of Minnesota in the same manner that traditional public schools are funded, except for

revenues generated by local property tax levies. Charter schools may not

levy taxes.Charter schools are free of charge to Minnesota students and must comply

with the Public School Fee Law.


DiverseWe enroll more than 6,500 students of color. Enrollment of undergrads of color grew more than 80% in 10 years.

We have the highest graduation rate in the state among students of color — 51% graduate within four years.

88% of undergrads receive grants and scholarships they do not have to pay back. Almost half of our students are from families with earnings below $70,000.

We have one professor for every 13 students. Most classes have less than 20 students.

Excellent

Affordable

Personalized

and Possible.

de sus uniones,” añade Andersen-Martinez, quien destacó que los empleados de JBS provienen de 36 diferentes países.

Además, JBS apoya económicamente de manera notable el programa Community Connectors, lo cual es una herramienta y recurso importante para inmigrantes y refugiados locales.

Los antecedentes de JBS en Worthington empiezan en los años 1960, cuando Armour inicialmente abrió una fabrica empacadora aquí. A través de las décadas, se ha visto los cambios de dueños- y filosofía- desde Armour a Monfort, a Swift, a Swift & Co., y en 2007, al JBS con su sede ubicado en Brasil.

“Hacemos mucho mas de lo necesario para asegurar que las personas que trabajen para nosotros califiquen para trabajar con permiso legal,” enfatizó Andersen-Martinez. “Además de proveer un comprobante de su identidad y un comprobante de su permiso legal, esta instalación ha participado en el programa gubernamental Basic Pilot (ahora conocido como E-Verify) desde su inicio en 1997. Cada uno de los empleados contratados aquí desde 1997 han sido revisado a través de esa programa gubernamental.”

Los empleados de JBS ganan un ingreso justo y de acuerdo con la industria suya, y tienen beneficios muy competitivos. Los empleados empiezan con un ingreso de $11.50 la hora, pero el promedio general de ingreso entre los trabajadores de producción es casi $14 la hora. Una vez contratados, Andersen-Martinez confía que los empleados perciben que hay posibilidades de que progresan en la organización, si ellos tienen tal deseo.

“Las minorías étnicas están representados entre todos los niveles de la compañía,” asegura Andersen-Martinez. “Para los que son nuevos al país, queremos que se den cuenta que hay un camino para progresar, que hay muchas oportunidades para llegar a trabajar con la administración con JBS. La mayoría de los que trabajen en la

stressed Andersen-Martinez. “Besides providing proof of identity and proof of employment eligibility, this facility has participated in the government’s Basic Pilot (now E-Verify) program since its onset in 1997. Every single employee hired here since 1997 has passed through the government’s program.”

Employees at JBS earn a fair wage for their industry and have extremely competitive benefits. Employees start at $11.50 an hour, but the average wage among production workers is closer to $14 an hour. Once hired, Andersen-Martinez trusts employees can see there is hope for them to move up in the organization, should they wish to do so.

“Ethnic minorities are represented among all levels of the company,” assured Andersen-Martinez. “For those new to the country, we want them to see there is a path to do something better, that there are a lot of opportunities in management at JBS. Most of our top management has come up through the ranks.”

Potter, the UFCW Local 1161 president, corroborates Andersen-Martinez’s observations.

“JBS has added more people on its management team who are able to provide translations,” said Potter. “For example, there is a native Sudanese man there who speaks English and Spanish, as well as five African languages.”

“There are 52 languages spoken by employees at JBS, which can be challenging for both the employer and the union at times,” continued Potter. “But diversity is beautiful, and that was reflected at Worthington’s recent International Festival. It’s important to give ourselves the chance to learn about other cultures, as well as encouraging other to learn about us and our culture.”

And for Andersen-Martinez, who has hired employees from countries as far-flung as Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Bhutan and Guatemala, it is reassuring to know that Worthington is a place she can count on to welcome them,




Comunidad

Worthington Employer JBS Strives to help Employees integrate into the Community




getting Down to Business: Minority Entrepreneurs Aid City growth

Take it from Adolfo Avila: Worthington has the welcome mat out for its new generation of minority business owners.

“I travel across all of southern Minnesota,” said Avila, a business consultant with the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) for nearly five years, “and I’m really impressed with and proud of how things are turning out in Worthington. There is a lot of support within the community, and they are leading the way in the southwest region and other parts of Minnesota.”

Avila, who advises about a dozen Latino clients in Worthington on a regular basis, also is chairman of the three-year-old Latino Business Owners Committee, which is part of the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce.

“When I started working with SWIF, Worthington had about 16 to 17 Latino businesses but none of them was registered with the Chamber of Commerce,” recalled Avila. “I got to know the business owners, explained the Chamber was there to help them, and gained enough trust to form a Latino group within the Chamber.”

Today, 11 of the town’s 24 Latino-owned businesses are official Chamber of Commerce members, and five more of Worthington’s 48 total minority-owned business owners have also joined, according to Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Darlene Macklin.

“We’re slowly making progress with minority-owned businesses,” expressed Macklin. “We’re trying to relate the message to them of why being a Chamber member is important to their businesses, and why general community involvement is also valuable.

“That message is starting to hit home, and the minority businesses that are members are good, strong members.”

Avila applauds the efforts of Macklin and her staff in reaching

out to minority-owned businesses.“Darlene will open the Chamber

office after hours for classes we offer for Latinos on things like workers’ compensation, leadership training, payroll, permits, accounting basics and insurance,” explained Avila. “There is now a Latino business owner on the Chamber board, and for changes like that to take place, they really have to have the welcome mat out.”

Confirmed Macklin, “Juan Palma, owner of an auto detailing and sales shop, is our first Hispanic board member and is now into his second year on the board. He’s given us a whole new insight into the Chamber, and sharing with other minority business owners how they can improve their businesses and what we can do for them—he’s acting as a real communication link for us.”

For instance, Macklin has learned that because so many of the local minority businesses are family operated, it can be harder for owners to slip away to attend regular meetings, as they work longer hours and/or more days of the week than better established Caucasian owners.

“And one of the challenges we’ve discovered is the average Caucasian might not be sure of what products a minority business offers because it’s not clear to them from the name of the store,” added Macklin.

At Panaderia Mi Tierra bakery in the heart of Worthington’s traditional downtown, owners Juan and Kerry Cuate made sure customers would not be in doubt of their store’s offerings. Neat and brightly colored signs in the clean plate-glass windows entice buyers with words in Spanish and English like “Fresh pastries, cakes, coffee and rolls.”

The successful bakery, which the Cuates have operated in Worthington since moving to town from Long Prairie four years ago, sells typical Latino products as well as some more familiar to Anglo

residents. Items include elephant ears, turnovers, white breads, bolillo, telera, conchas, quinceanara cakes, tres leches cakes, raised donuts, cookies and more.

“We were drawn here by the diversity of the community,” revealed Kerry Cuate, a native of Clarissa who met her husband, Juan, at a bilingual church in Minneapolis while she attended a Bible college in the Twin Cities. “We knew that with the large Latino population there would be a good market,” added Cuate. “Juan had always wanted to have his own bakery, and we felt Worthington was the right size for a smaller niche bakery.”

Juan Cuate grew up in Morelos, Mexico, and first came to California in 1990. He’s a third-generation baker, but initially found factory work in the United States. After marrying in 1997, the couple lived in Mexico for a couple of years before returning to Minnesota, where Kerry worked for a time as a social services financial worker and as an advocate for domestic violence victims.

Now Kerry helps run the family store, overseeing the bilingual sales staff while Juan employs his baking expertise in the kitchen. The Cuates have two school-aged children, Karina and Alex, and are pleased their bakery has become a multicultural gathering place in the community.

“We have Latinos, Anglos, Africans and Asians all as customers,” affirmed Kerry Cuate. “We wanted to attract everybody, and we see a nice intermixing of people talking to each other when they have coffee. The people who come in are willing to be exploratory, and overall, Worthington is very good. It’s a somewhat bigger ‘small-town’ experience that we’ve found very positive.”

Brad Chapulis, Worthington’s community development director, is quick to note that it’s businesses like the Cuates’ Panaderia Mi Tierra

that have played an important role in keeping Worthington’s downtown interesting and alive.

“The efforts that have been made here to encourage minority-owned businesses have really complemented our business community,” confirmed Chapulis. “With the formation of the Latino Business Owners Committee, a greater number of owners have more of a stake in the community and more of a network for support.

“They’re finding a way to become part of existing town structures while maintaining their own voices and learning to become advocates for themselves, and their presence, which expanded the diversification of our local commercial activities, has definitely stabilized our downtown.”

Chapulis remembers only a handful of minority-owned businesses locally when he came to Worthington in 1998, including Maria Parga’s Video Lupita. Parga, an 18-year Worthington resident, now has stores in two locations and is about to open a third Mini-Mart Lupita in the town’s former American Legion facility on another

key street in Worthington. “There is a long list of

customers who come from outside of Worthington for the range of products and services our businesses provide,” noted Macklin. “All of our grocery stores, for instance, have extensive Latino and Asian sections, and there is a real international flavor here.”

“I think it’s neat how the ethnic diversity is woven through our city,” she continued. “There are very few vacant storefronts on our main drag, and there’s no one area where you say, ‘Here’s our Hispanic section,’ or, ‘Here’s our Asian section’—there are not little pockets of diversity but it’s scattered around town, and that’s true in our residential neighborhoods, as well.”

Avila agrees.“No community is perfect, but

most of the progress in Worthington has been very, very positive,” he offered.

Added Macklin, “We’ve come a long way, and there are always people who will be negative about the changes, but I think it’s exciting for us to be ahead of the curve in both positives and challenges.”


Charter schools have an authorizer which is charged with monitoring and evaluating the fiscal, operational and student performance of the

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Charter schools are governed by a board

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administración ahora han subido de rango empezando desde abajo.”

Potter, el director local de UFCW concuerda con las observaciones de Andersen-Martinez.

“JBS ha añadido mas personas a su equipo de administración quienes puedan proveer traducciones,” dice Potter. “Por ejemplo, hay un hombre nativo de Sudan quien habla Ingles, y Español aparte de cinco idiomas Africanas.”

“Se habla un total de 52 idiomas entre los empleados de JBS, lo cual puede ser un desafío no solo para el el empresario, pero también para la unión a veces,” mencionó Potter. “Pero la diversidad es hermosa, y eso se reflejó en el International Festival. Es importante a darnos la oportunidad de aprender de otras culturas, a la vez que animamos a los demás a aprender acerca de nosotros y nuestra cultura.”

En cuanto a Andersen-Martinez, quien ha contratado a personas de lugares tan lejos como Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Bhután y Guatemala, es tranquilizadora saber que puede confiar que Worthington es la clase de lugar que dará la bienvenida a todos, sin importar su país de origen.

“Hay un verdadero esfuerzo de parte de los miembros de la comunidad de trabajar con las personas quienes vienen a Worthington,” observa Andersen-Martinez. “Hay una infraestructura aquí que no tiene igual, y el distrito 518 esta muy preparada a trabajar con los recién llegados. Yo pienso que si fuéramos a preguntar a cada inmigrante y refugiado que es lo que mas anhela al empezar una vida nueva en esta país, la contestación principal será ‘para dar una vida y futuro a mis hijos que no pude darles en mi país.’ Nuestro distrito escolar y comunidad ayudan a los recién llegados a sentirse confiados

whatever their homeland.“There is a real effort on the part

of the community to work with the people who come to Worthington,” observed Andersen-Martinez. “There is a lot of infrastructure in place here that is second to none, and District 518 is well prepared to work with newcomers. I think that if we ask every immigrant and refugee parent what is most important to them as they start a new life in this country and this community, the overwhelming response would be ‘to provide a life and a future for my children that I couldn’t give them in my country.’ Our school district and community help our newcomers feel at ease that those dreams can become a reality for their children.”

“Whether because of war, violence, oppression or poverty, people are here for a new beginning,” continued Andersen-Martinez. They just want a chance to enjoy the basic things most of us take for granted. This community and company embrace diversity, and for a town this size, we’re light years ahead—and that’s very encouraging.”




Comunidad

Worthington Employer JBS Strives to help Employees integrate into the Community


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de que se puede convertir en realidad sus sueños para con sus hijos.

“Sin importar si es debido a la guerra, violencia, opresión o pobreza, las personas están aquí para empezar de nuevo,” sigue Andersen-Martinez. “Ellos solamente quieren la oportunidad de disfrutar de las cosas básicas que la mayoría de nosotros tomamos por sentado. Esta comunidad y compañía abrazamos la diversidad, y para un pueblo de nuestro tamaño, estamos exageradamente adelantados, y eso es muy animador.”

Charter schools have a “charter contract” with an authorizer that outlines the purposes of the

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The seven Catholic sacraments are special moments when God comes close to us in a particular way to fill us with His life.

Over the summer months we have celebrated many baptisms. These are moments of grace, when families and community come together to rejoice and celebrate the gift of their child’s life in God. The parents and godparents with the support of their families and community make a commitment before God to nurture and develop the free gift of faith this child receives as we welcome him into God’s family, the Church. During the coming years they will teach the child to know and love Jesus Christ by praying with and for their child, having statues and pictures in their home that remind them of God, by being good examples of love and of faith, by practicing their faith, attending Sunday Mass, and caring for one another.

Around age 7 it will be time for their child to begin preparing for first Communion. We are very blessed to have several parents from the Hispanic community who have made the commitment and volunteered to serve their community as catechists. If you would like to share your faith with the coming generation please volunteer to be a catechist. This is God’s work and the children need you!

The sacrament of the Eucharist is the heart of the Catholic faith because we believe that here, Jesus Christ, God, is truly present and alive. Jesus suffered and died to save us from our sins and to bring us eternal life, he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, but he did not abandon us! Before he died, at the Last Supper, he promised to be with us always in the sacrament of the Eucharist, in a humble piece of bread. If God could do all of this for us could we not take time to come to Him by attending Sunday Mass? He will always be waiting for us and never stop loving each person.

This is what the children will be learning in first Communion classes with the continued help of their parents, godparents, family and community. Here at Queen

Faith

Los siete sacramentos católicos son momentos especiales cuando Dios se acerca a nosotros de una manera particular, para llenarnos con su vida

Durante los meses de verano, hemos celebrado muchos bautismos. Estos son momentos de gracia, cuando las familias y la comunidad se reúnen para regocijarse y celebrar el don de la vida de su hijo en Dios. Los padres y padrinos, con el apoyo de sus familias y la comunidad hacen un compromiso ante Dios para alimentar y desarrollar el don de la fe que este niño recibe cuando le damos la bienvenida a la familia de Dios, la Iglesia. Durante los próximos años ellos van a enseñar al niño a conocer y amar a Jesucristo, orando con y para sus hijos, teniendo estatuas e imágenes en su casa que les recuerden a Dios, siendo buenos ejemplos de amor y de fe, mediante la práctica de su fe , Asistiendo a la misa dominical, y interesándose por el bienestar de otros.

Alrededor de 7 años de edad será el momento para que su hijo comience a prepararse para la primera comunión. Nos sentimos bendecidos de tener varios padres de la comunidad hispana que se han comprometido de manera voluntaria para servir a su comunidad como catequistas. Si a usted le gustaría compartir su fe con la próxima generación, por favor participe como voluntario y sea catequista. Esto es la obra de Dios en usted y los niños lo necesita!

El sacramento de la Eucaristía es el corazón de la fe católica, porque creemos que aquí, Jesús Cristo, Dios está verdaderamente presente y vivo. Jesús sufrió y murió para salvarnos de nuestros pecados, y nos trae la vida eterna, se levantó de entre los muertos y ascendió al cielo, pero no nos abandonó! Antes de morir, en la Última Cena, el prometió estar con nosotros siempre en el sacramento de la Eucaristía, en un humilde pedazo de pan. Si Dios puede hacer todo esto por nosotros, como nosotros no nos tomamos el tiempo para venir a Él y asistir a la misa dominical? Él siempre estará esperando por nosotros y nunca dejar de amar a

continued on page 29continua en pagina 29113 Bernard St E | West Saint Paul, MN 55118 | 651-204-0620

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4-H is lean-by-doing program for youth. 4-H uses hands-on education projects to teach life skills to young people. 4-H staff and volunteers work together to teach youth in the 4-H Program. 4-H is part of the University of Minnesota Extension.

Most youth belong to a 4-H club were young people work together with a 4-H Volunteer. The youth may work on a single project or they may be involved in several projects. 4-H projects are useful tools for teaching a wide variety of skills to youth. The main objective of all projects is to help youth become more capable adults by learning life skills. These skills include setting goals, making decisions, and evaluating alternatives. There are over 50 projects youth can be involved in. Some examples include: Child Development, Foods and Nutrition, knitting, vegetables, arts, preforming arts, pets and list goes on.

4-H is a wonderful opportunity for parents, adults, relatives to spend time with their children through work on projects and club experiences. If your child or family is interested in learning more about 4-H, joining or becoming a volunteer, please contact Jill Grams, McLeod County 4-H Program Coordinator at 1-800-587-0770.

4-h oportunidades para Jovenes

4-h opportunities for Youth


of Angels in Austin, MN, we have Spanish Mass each Sunday at 11am and 5pm, and each Friday at 7pm. We have a Spanish Holy Hour Thursdays at 7pm and Bible study each Tuesday at 7pm. The children’s first Communion class meets on Sundays at 12:30pm. Everyone is always welcome at Mass and in the church for prayer. We have Eucharistic Adoration every week from Tuesday at 10am until Thursday at 8pm, day and night. God is waiting for you. Come!

cada persona.Esto es lo que los niños van a

aprender en las primeras clases de comunión con la ayuda constante de sus padres, padrinos, familia y comunidad. Aquí en la parroquia Reina de los Ángeles en Austin, MN, tenemos la misa en español cada domingo a las 11am y las 5pm, y todos los viernes a las 7pm. Tenemos todos los jueves una hora santa en español a las 7pm y el estudio de la Biblia en español todos los martes a las 7pm. Las clases de los niños para la primera comunión se reúnen los domingos a las 12:30. Todo el mundo es siempre bienvenido a la Misa y en la iglesia para oración. Tenemos la Adoración Eucarística cada semana desde el martes a las 10 am hasta el jueves a las 8 pm, día y noche. Dios está esperando por usted. ¡Ven!

Palabra de Dios

God’s Word


4-H se ha dedicado al programa para los jóvenes. 4-H utiliza las manos-en proyectos de educación para enseñar habilidades para la vida de los jóvenes. Personal de 4-H y voluntarios trabajan juntos para enseñar a los jóvenes en el Programa de 4-H. 4-H es un programa de extensión de la Universidad de Minnesota.

La mayoría de los jóvenes que pertenecen a un club 4-H trabajan junto con un voluntario de 4-H. Los jóvenes pueden trabajar en un solo proyecto o que pueden estar implicados en varios proyectos. Los proyectos en 4-H son herramientas útiles para la enseñanza de una amplia variedad de habilidades a los jóvenes. El objetivo principal de todos los proyectos es ayudar a los jóvenes a convertirse en adultos más capaces de aprender habilidades para la vida. Estas habilidades incluyen el establecimiento de metas, toma de decisiones y evaluación de alternativas. Hay más de 50 proyectos en que los jóvenes pueden participa. Algunos ejemplos son: Desarrollo Infantil, Alimentos y Nutrición, Tejido, las verduras, las artes, artes dramaticas, las mascotas y la lista continúa.

4-H brinda la oportunidad maravillosa para que padres, adultos, y familiares puedan pasar tiempo con sus hijos a través del trabajo en proyectos y experiencias en el club. Si su niño o su familia está interesada en aprender más acerca de 4-H, unirse o ser voluntario, por favor contactar a Jill Grams, Coordinadora del Programa al 1-800-587-0770 4-H del Condado de McLeod.


When Gaudalupe Gadea saw a lack of resources and need to secure a safer neighborhood for women and children in her St. Paul community, the 10th-grader attacked these issues—and more—with her Girl Scout Gold Award project. She will be the first Latina Girl Scout to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award from River Valleys.

A f t e r s u r v e y i n g neighbors at local National Night Out e v e n t s to learn what safety information they needed but unable to find, Gadea organized a Women’s Resource Fair. She invited 10 organizations in and around St. Paul’s east side. The groups were able to talk with residents directly about everything from neighborhood safety and early childhood education to legal services and crisis intervention.

“I am not afraid of taking on new challenges and would like to be a role model for younger girls, as well as women, in my community,”

said Gadea, a Johnson High School student. Getting her inspiration from her own role models growing up, Gadea invited Minnesota State Sen. Patricia Torres Ray—the first Latina elected to the Minnesota Senate—to be her master of ceremonies at the resource fair. And after more

than a year of planning, organizing, a n d u p l i f t i n g s p i r i t s , i n c l ud i ng her own, she finished her project w i t h success.

“My whole point is to show that teenagers aren’t always what you think they are,” Gadea said. “Some of us really do care and are trying to help and I am here to say that I am one of them. I will always be one of them to help—I want to make a change. That’s my life goal to make a change in a lot of people’s lives.”

For information about Girl Scouts, call 1-800-845-0787 or go online to GirlScoutsRV.org.

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Minnesota State Senator Patricia torres ray Joins girl Scout to Empower and Educate

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