MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Transcription

1 MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER Volume 6, Issue 7 July 2016 o A New Look for MCRC MCRC has been undergoing several building improvements beginning in Fall 2015 up until now. Back in October, Ollinger Heating & Cooling installed a brand new boiler in our Annex building, replacing the existing one that had been on it s last leg from the previous harsh winters Erie faced. The project included replacing the boiler and condensate return pumps to testing the system throughout the entire building and fixing leaks and replacing steam traps. The system is now 100% efficient and will keep heating our Annex for years to come! Below are some of our improvements that have been done up through now: Window replacement project: In addition to replacing the widows and wrapping the old, exposed wood above these windows and around the building, the bell tower windows were scraped clean and repainted, old radiator grates were removed and covered with brick and the entire building was pressure washed upon completion. Coming Events August 2 National Night Out August 6 Hispanic Festival August 7 Friendship Day August 9 Erie Gives Day August 9 Int l Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples August 12 Int l Youth Day August Italian Heritage Festival August Celebrate Erie August 19 World Humanitarian Day August 21 Senior Citizen s Day August 26 Women s Equality Day August Zabawa Polish Festival Multicultural Community Resource Center of Erie Michael Burns, Esq., Board President Joanna R. Cherpak, Executive Director Landscaping and cleaning around the MCRC Campus: Thank you to PRI! MCRC Noticias Editorial Team: Cathie Whitmire, ESL Instructor Carol Brigham, Education Manager Gregg Sikora, IT Specialist 554 East 10 th St., Erie, PA Ph: FAX: MCRC@mcrcerie.org

2 P A G E 2 Daycare doors: The daycare received an upgrade with new doors to the office and baby room. Also, to improve our security up there, both sets of double doors were fitted with push bars that lock so no one can freely walk into the daycare area. Fence replacement in back lot: Funds raised through the Highmark Walk this year went towards replacing the dilapidated fence around our back lot with a new 6-foot high chain link fence all around. Two exterior doors were also replaced because they were rusted out and/or damaged in the Annex. The new boiler that was installed this past fall. This, paired with the repairs to the entire steam system, now allows heat to every corner of the Annex.

3 P A G E 3 The Impact of Immigration on the Local Economy On Wednesday July 27, 2016, the Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE), a research center of the Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend, held their 13 th Economic Conference. This year s theme, The Impact of Immigration on the Local Economy, was especially important to us at MCRC because part of our mission is to help better educate the community around us about diverse cultures and their impact on our day to day lives. Looking at the economic impact of immigration to our local community fits right in. Dr. Ken Louie, Director of ERIE and associate professor of Economics at Behrend, began the conference by talking about the local economy now in Next, our own MCRC staff members, Joanna (Executive Director), Paul (Associate Director of Programs) and Deb (Director of Immigration and Language Services) gave a presentation titled Immigration Facts & Fallacies, Resources, Challenges and the Impact on the Community in which they gave an overview of MCRC and the services we provide. Then they discussed some myths and facts commonly identified with immigration. They also covered the strengths and challenges that we witness with our clients and the community every day. The day continued with discussions on Immigrants in the Community given by Gary Lee from the County Executive s Office and Immigration Law by MCRC board member Alicia DiBacco, JD. The keynote address was given by Dr. Pia Orrenius, Vice President and Senior Economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Dr. Orrenius talk entitled Immigration: Impact on Labor Markets and Regional Economic Development discussed the trends in migration and immigration in the United States, the labor demand in the different regions of the U.S. and offered some ideas for policy reform at the national level that would better use our immigration system to boost our economy. The day concluded with a discussion by Jeff Brooks from USCRI Erie about their experience with refugee resettlement and the impact that they see in the Erie community. Conference attendees provided good questions and insightful points surrounding immigration and our own local economy throughout the day and seemed to leave with a better understanding of what positive changes can occur in our community through the economic benefits of immigration. On June 21, representatives from AmeriHealth, the Elder program and our Daycare School Age program dedicated our 2016 Community Garden.

4 P A G E 4 Hispanic Heritage month Hispanic Heritage month will be held from September 15 th to October 15 th this year. The annual celebration of America s Latino community began with a week of events in It was expanded to a month long observance by President Reagan in During this month long period, we recognize the contributions of the Hispanic/Latino culture throughout our history. The term Hispanic or Latino, refers to Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture/origin regardless of race. Today, more than 55 million people in America identify themselves as such. Five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. celebrate their independence on September 15 th, while Mexico, Chile and Belize do so on October 12 th. Parades, parties and events are held across the U.S. throughout this commemorative month. Erie Latino Leadership presents the 2016 Hispanic Festival As a precursor to Hispanic Heritage month Erie s Latino community will come together to showcase their music, dance, and cuisine. The event will be held on Saturday, August 6 th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the newly renovated Perry Square Park, downtown. The event will showcase local vendors, craftsmen, and social service groups. Children s activities will also be available. Bienvenido! Come and join in the fun!

5 P A G E 5 Upcoming Events Tuesday, August 9, :00AM 8:00 PM

6 MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER 554 East 10th Street Erie, PA Phone: Fax: Web: Elders Touch our Hearts as Well as Our Lives On the days that we have our Refugee Elder Program, from my office window I can see all of them leaving at the end of their class time. They are such a colorful, happy group of seniors that I can t help but smile at them. On the occasions when I am actually outside when they are leaving, they all greet me with wide eyed smiles. Some will come and shake my hand or some will stand before me with folded prayer hands and say Namaste and I do the same in return to them. Honestly this warms my heart in such an incredible way that I cannot describe it accurately. It just makes my day. Your Donation is Appreciated To make a financial gift to MCRC, send it to Joanna Cherpak, Executive Director, 554 East 10th St., Erie, PA or donate online at MCRC is a 501 ( c)(3) charity and all donations are tax deductible. MCRC volunteer opportunities exist for one-time or continuing activities. Please visit the Volunteer tab at our Website at or look for us on the Get Connected Erie website at agencies/mcrcerie To inquire, send an to MCRC@mcrcerie.org. Be sure to include your name and phone number in your message. I have mentioned many times that my own parents are no longer with me. Unfortunately my parents were older when they had me so although they lived a long time, I was still relatively young after they were gone. I miss the presence of an older generation in my family. So I guess I can truly appreciate these folks and what they bring to our world here at MCRC. I read a short story recently that I would like to share here. It is so beautiful and if you are like me, it will make your eyes misty: A Lesson for Everyone A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. Father being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and trousers. Others diners watched him in disgust while his son was calm. After he finished eating, his son who was not at all embarrassed, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his spectacles firmly. When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that. The son settled the bill and started walking out with his father. At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, "Don't you think you have left something behind?" The son replied, "No sir, I haven't". The old man retorted, "Yes, you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father". The restaurant went silent. Enjoy the rest of your summer! Genuinely yours, Joanna R. Cherpak Executive Director Proudly serving the needs of the Hispanic and refugee communities since 1975.