el sol shines

El Sol Shines June / July 2012 1

June/July 2012 Volume 4, Issue 4

El Sol Shines“working together for a better community”

In This Issue:• Workers’ Council President ...2• Newest VISTA volunteer..........2• Bethesda-by-the-Sea .........2• Featured Volunteer ...............3• Featured Worker ....................3• Disaster Preparedness

Conference .........................4• Lewis Center Opens ..............4• Community Service ...............5• Featured Worker ....................5• Worker Elections ....................5• Wish List ...................................6• El Sol’s Mission Statement ......6

New Health Literacy Classes Reinforce English for El Sol Workers

Florida Literacy Coalition, in partnership with Florida Blue (formerly Blue Cross /Blue Shield), has granted their support for reinforcing El Sol daytime and nighttime English classes with health literacy. The goal of the “Staying Healthy” program is to provide health-education resources to local adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) so that they can make informed choices about their health and nutrition.

The rationale for the program is simple: all adults need an adequate level of health literacy to establish good communication between patient and health care providers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, almost 50 percent of adults who don’t finish high school also lack basic health literacy. They are also more likely to suffer from chronic conditions and may not know how to manage health and medical issues.

This grant enabled El Sol to hire an ESOL daytime coordinator, VickieGranati. Mrs. Granati started English classes with the help of volunteer teachers. Classes officially began on May 15, 2012, and are currently held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00AM to 11:00AM.

The state of Wisconsin incorporated Florida Literacy Coalition’s “Staying Healthy” program into their English for Health program.” The program received the first Outstanding Achievement in Health Literacy from Wisconsin Literacy in 2010.

Vickie Granati, El Sol's new day-time ESOL coordinator, exudes enthusiasm and passion about her work overseeing adult English language classes saying it is "exciting, challenging and always interesting."

Granati, formerly a volunteer teacher with El Sol, was hired as ESOL coordinator in May, 2012. Thanks to the receipt of two grants, her position plus a new "Staying Healthy" ESOL curriculum were added to El Sol’s education program. See VICKIE GRANATI, page 3u

El Sol Welcomes Vickie Granati asESOL Coordinator

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2 El Sol Shines June/ July 2012

Worker’s Council Elects New President

El Sol has welcomed Emmanuel Carreno, 23, as its newest AmeriCorps VISTA staff member who will focus on vocational training programs to improve the skills of workers. He began his duties May 29 and is the fourth AmeriCorps VISTA staff member assigned to El Sol. As El Sol’s Vocational Workshop Developer, Carreno is responsible for implementing job training programs and curricula that will provide workers with the skills they need to succeed in the work place. “It is also important that they learn the terminology of the jobs they will be performing,” he said. Carreno was born in Mexico and brought to the United States by his parents when he was three. He was raised in Woodstock, VA where he graduated from high school. He received a B.S. degree in Spanish from Mary Washington University. Carreno worked as an interpreter for a hospital and library in Fredericksburg,VA and in customer service for a year for Intuit Corp, before being hired by AmeriCorps VISTA.

El Sol’s Newest AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, Emmanuel Carreno

El Sol volunteer Shirley Jackson thanks Pat R e i c h e n b a c h e r (left) who manages the volunteers at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church’s Church Mouse thrift shop on Palm Beach. Their efforts raise funds for annual mission and outreach grants.

Their award allowed El Sol to complete funding of the daytime ESOL coordinator’s salary. As a result, safety and family health units are now provided.

Generous Grant Provides Funding for El Sol’s Education Programs

As newly elected President of the El Sol Workers Council, Genaro Mateo said one of his goals is to ensure that workers receive more training in various job skills that will improve their chances for employment. A native of Guatemala, Mateo, 30, has been in the United States seven years. He succeeds Diego Rojas as President of the Workers Council. He said he knows from experience the value of learning new job skills. In Guatemala, he

worked as an accountant, but after coming to the U.S., has worked in painting and landscaping. He also wants the Council to continue to emphasize the need for workers to comply with El Sol’s rules while at the Center, and to volunteer whenever and wherever there is a need. Mateo said the Workers Council will continue to hold birthday celebrations to recognize all those whose birthdays occur in a particular month. “It is our way to give them some benefit for their special day, and they deserve it,” Mateo said. Other newly elected Workers’ Council board members are: Salvador Gomez, vice president; Marta Brava, treasurer; Raul Morales, secretary; and board members Roberto Pineda, Rosa Ortega, Jose Delgado, Manuel Diaz, and Romulo Aguilar.

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El Sol’s New Daytime ESOL Coordinatoru VICKIE GRANATI from page 1

Most of the students have never seen a doctor, except in an emergency. Because of cultural differences, many of them associate hospitals and doctors and serious illness with death, Granati said. “We are teaching awareness of preventive care, which includes getting a checkup, immunizations, blood tests and other screenings. We want our students to see their doctors before it is too late, and to know that things like diabetes and high blood pressure can often be controlled with diet and medication,” she said.

A class for women is held on Mondays and child care is provided. Women are more receptive to the “Staying Heathy” curriculum while men are “a little more of a tough sell,” Granati said. Most of the students are immigrants from other cultures and many of the women have never had a Pap smear or a mammogram, she said. Also, because many lived in rural or mountainous areas and had their babies at home, the concept of giving birth in a hospital or having pre-natal care is a new concept. Granati noted that very few of the students have health insurance, so the classes provide information about the availability of low cost or free health care, such as the services provided by the Jupiter Volunteer Clinic. “It is important that they know how the American health system works. For example, when they visit a doctor, they have to sign in and fill out forms. They will be taught to ask questions and to take responsibility for their health

care,’ she said. While the focus is on health, topics involving occupational and safety issues are also being introduced in addition to the curriculum.

There are seven to eight volunteer teachers conducting the classes. Many are former or retired teachers. Some speak Spanish and some don’t, but “it all works,” said Granati, who moved to Jupiter last March from Long Island, N. Y. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in Liberal Arts from Stony Brook University, and has extensive experience as an educator. She began an ESOL pilot program in East Patchogue, New York where participants were from El Salvador, Guatemala and Ecuador.

After coming to Jupiter, Granati heard about El Sol from her sister who had volunteered in the kitchen. She signed on as a volunteer teacher and is glad she did. “You never know who you are going to touch here and you may never know, (but) spending time here, I get more than I give,” she said.

Volunteers and workers participate in popular daytime ESOL program: Table Talk

El Sol’s Featured Volunteer: Travis MooreTravis Moore came to El Sol as a volunteer last fall, bringing with him his extensive understanding of computers and answering the prayers of Tom Choate, El Sol’s IT volunteer. Tom says: “Travis has been a huge help in our efforts to convert all local area network operations at El Sol from an old, increasingly obsolete Novell server to a Windows-based server. This conversion effort is similar to learning a whole new computer language. Fortunately, Travis’s day job includes being the computer support and administrator of a similar Windows-based server. Without his knowledge and freely-given support, we would not now be approaching a complete transition to the new network environment this summer.”

Travis studied Law and American Society at Florida Atlantic University’s Honors College in Abacoa and graduated in 2011 with a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences. He’s a Florida native ~ his parents and grandparents live in Palm Beach Gardens and he has extended family in Central Florida.

Travis came to El Sol “to make a small investment in the community I call home.” He is impressed with the dedication of the diverse group of volunteers who make this large organization run smoothly and effectively. Travis’s own dedication to El Sol is evident in a letter to Travis from El Sol’s administrative assistant Karen Clark: “On behalf of El Sol, I would like to sincerely thank

you for the generous donation of your time and talents to support the installation of our new phone system. The new system is so very valuable to our organization and our impact in the community, as it strengthens our communication within the building and beyond our boundaries.” Karen said Travis’s professionalism, his knowledge and his preparation made the installation easy and enjoyable. “He made a very long Sunday at El Sol a pleasure!” Travis says, “It is amazing to see a local, community-level organization making a positive impact on the community.” El Sol congratulates an amazing volunteer, Travis Moore, for his incredibly positive impact on our community!

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On June 25, 2012, the ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening of the Senator Philip D. Lewis Center. It will be officially in operation in July.

The Lewis Center is not a homeless shelter. Rather, it is for the assessment of homeless individuals and families for medical care, job training, and placement services through several participating agencies. Joining with El Sol were Gulfstream Goodwill, Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, The Lord’s Place, and the Palm Beach County Department of Health. Representatives of The Town of Jupiter, The Jupiter Police Department, and El Sol JNRC were present at the ceremony to represent our community.

Resource Center for Homeless to Open Next Month

Above: Betzy Rega, Diane Williams; Anne Lyons, Assistant Town Manager; Satu Oksanen, Neighborhood Services Manager of the Town of Jupiter; and Lt. Michael Goad, Jupiter Police Department

ConferenceTeachesNonprofitOrganizations“HowtoDealWith Zombies” (among other things)

Representing El Sol, Karen Clark attended the 8th Annual Disaster Preparedness Conference on Friday, June 1, 2012, presented by Nonprofits First® at the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach. There were presentations from the Head of the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center, a NOAA Meteorologist, Palm Beach County Fire and Rescue, PBSO, and the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County’s Nonprofit Legal Assistance Project

The primary focus of the seminar was on Cooperative Plans – Continuity of Operations. To date, Floridians have become pretty savvy about being prepared. The next step for the Emergency Operations Center is trying to educate companies on thinking about how to get business up and running again after an emergency situation has struck an area.

To illustrate various points and procedures, a mock pandemic apocalypse was staged. Participants were attacked by Zombies! (G-Star Arts Students were in full makeup and Zombie attire. And they were growling.) This drove home the point that hurricanes aren’t the only emergency to be concerned about. There are many other potential catastrophic events such as domestic security issues, fire, floods, HAZMAT, communicable disease, tornadoes, nuclear, radiological, etc.

The conference emphasized key components of successfully handling any disaster (including zombies), and how the community can best recover in its aftermath.

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Conference included diseased zombies (top), a glimpse of the level of planning and sophisticated coordination that takes place in the Emergency Operations Center (left), and many cleverly designed handouts (above)



El Sol’s Workers...Salvador Gomez, El Sol’s Featured Worker for June/July, loves to volunteer, especially in the kitchen where he regularly helps with everything from making coffee to serving lunch and scrubbing pots and pans. A native of Guatemala, Gomez, 22, has been coming to El Sol since it opened in 2006 and eagerly volunteers as often as he can in the kitchen. He also has taken ESL classes, worker safety seminars and vocational training workshops. Recently, he was elected to the board of directors of the Workers Council. He is an experienced landscaper whose skills include laying sod and tree trimming. Gomez lives with his father, Lorenzo, and brothers, Alberto and Samuel Gomez. He said his life has been much better in the years since El Sol opened, because it provides a safe and organized place for people to obtain jobs. When he’s not working or volunteering, Gomez said he likes to watch television. Congratulations to Salvador Gomez and his well-deserved recognition as featured worker for June and July. As featured worker, Gomez receives priority for hiring for three days.

El Sol’s Featured Worker:SalvadorGomez

Service to the CommunityRecently, nine committed El Sol workers volunteered their time to paint a house at 201 5th St, Jupiter. Both the owner of the house and our partner organization Rebuilding Together of the Palm Beaches were very satisfied with results.

Day Labor Service Breaks RecordsEl Sol’s day labor service filled a record 1,002 jobs in May, 2012, exceeding the previous monthly high of 940 jobs filled in May, 2008. Also , 111 new first-time employers registered during the month to use the service that matches employers with workers. Most of the jobs are of a temporary nature and for such tasks as landscaping, painting, moving, housekeeping, and general labor. Last month’s record hiring continued a trend of increased hiring during the first quarter of 2012 when 1,900 jobs were filled compared to 1,670 filled in the last quarter of 2011. As of March 30 there were 2,479 Jupiter workers registered at El Sol as well as 5,833 employers from throughout the region. The day labor service operates from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 12 noon on Sunday. For information call (561) 745-9860 or go to www.friendsofelsol.com

Kitchen volunteer, Jim Sparger congratulates Salvador Gomez on his honor as Featured Worker



El Sol’s vision is for a premier day-labor center providing skilled, dependable workers to employers. We are also committed to promoting strong economically and ethnically diverse communities in which all people can achieve their highest potential.

El Sol seeks to improve the quality of life for all residents of the Town of Jupiter through:

• Organizing and supervising Jupiter’s day-labor hiring in a controlled and sanitary atmosphere;

• Educating Jupiter’s day-laborers and contractors about their rights and responsibilities;

• Assisting Jupiter’s immigrant population to become an active and integrated part of the larger Jupiter community;

• Building bridges and communication among the different ethnic, cultural and religious groups in Jupiter;

• Providing occupational training, language and literacy instruction, counseling, health education, legal and other services to individuals in need.

El Sol’sMission Statement

StaffJocelyn Skolnik, directorDora Valdivia, associate directorWilberto Luna, labor center coordinatorDawn Fae Adolfson, Idania Venereo, education teamBetzyRega, health coordinatorKaren Clark, Administrative assistantKatie Carpenter, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer DeveloperGilian M’maitsi, AmeriCorps VISTA Systems DeveloperRoyce Emley, AmeriCorps VISTA Job DeveloperEmmanuel Carreno, AmeriCorps VISTA Vocational Workshop Developer

El Sol Shines is published six times a yearWendy Sue Meehan, EditorMike Richmond, Communications Committee ChairmanContributors

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El Sol Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center

106 Military TrailJupiter FL 33458Phone (561) 745-9860Fax (561) 745-9834

Find us on the Web at www.friendsofelsol.org

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ElSolJupiter

See us on Facebook at El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center

El Sol’s Hiring Hall is open• 6am-2pm Monday through Saturday• 7am-12noon Sunday

Donate online through Network for Good on our websitewww.friendsofelsol.org

EL SoLs “Wish List “Kitchen

• Volunteers to conduct a Food Supply Drive: (canned goods, vegetables, proteins, coffee, sugar, creamer)

• Volunteers to conduct a Paper Supply Drive: (napkins, paper towels, plates, 8oz cups, bowls, forks)

• Shelving Units $720• Industrial Dishwasher and plates, cups, silverware

Education• English/Spanish Dictionaries• Copy Paper• Colored Paper• Pens and Pencils• Notebooks• Gift Cards and other incentives

Labor ProgramVolunteers to conduct a Cleaning Supplies Drive: (Toilet Paper, Clorox Wipes, 60 gallon trash bags)

OfficeSuppliesWe need LOTS of copy paper!!!!!

Sewing Program• Universal sewing machine needles, size 10, 12 and 14.• Good quality sewing thread in all colors• standard plastic bobbins• Rotary cutter• Rotary cutter replacement blades• Sharp scissors for cutting thread and small thread clipping scis-

sors

ChildcareWe need volunteers to do childcare activities during our night-time classes while parents are in class. Shifts are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday from 7-9PM

Mike RichmondKatie CarpenterRoyce EmleyShirley Joy JacksonBetzyRega

Sally IshamGilian M’maitsiKaren ClarkAndi ClevelandDora Valdivia

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