GIFTS TO SHARE IN 2020
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Each year, my wife prepares a moment of prayer and thanksgiving that we share as a family on Christmas Eve. She creates beautiful cards with a single word written on them, each representing a ‘gift’ that the baby Jesus has brought us. Just before midnight, we gather around the Christmas tree, and, as the youngest family member gently rocks a baby Jesus figurine in his arms, we each select one of the cards and read aloud the 'gift' that we have received. My gift this year was "Generosity."
Immediately, I started to wonder if I had enough money to be generous. Then, I realized that it is not necessary to have money to be generous. Rather, I could share my gifts. So, what are my gifts to share?
I have an education that trained me to serve and minister to others in the area of the Catholic faith. By sharing my own education, I can also share in the learning and growth of our students, as teaching is key to the corporal works of mercy and is desperately needed today.
Education is our goal at Centro. It is the task of formation in truth, reason, and faith, and it is the primary method for “Superación” (growth or success). By supporting and advocating for others to achieve their potential, I can fulfill my resolution. No matter how much I have, I can always be generous, because it’s not a matter of having, but rather, sharing.
Thank you for your generosity, sharing yourself and your gifts with our students and our community in this new year!
Alfonso Lara
COLLABORATION WITH THE CONSULATES
In 2019 Centro San Juan Diego had the opportunity to collaborate with the four Latin American consulates in Denver to serve the Hispanic community by participating regularly in a domestic violence work group and hosting both an Independence Day celebration and an immigration information session to help the community better understand their rights and receive free legal consults.
In his year-end letter, Roland Denegri, Consul General of the Peruvian Consulate in Denver, recognized Centro San Juan Diego for its noble efforts in supporting the Hispanic immigrant community by providing humanitarian support, opportunities for educational advancement, and legal resources:
"The scope of your work has a concrete and very effective impact on promoting education and improving the educational and professional skills of Latin American citizens living in the United States."
We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with all the consulates last year and look forward to future collaboration with our community partners in 2020!
MODEL OF PERSEVERANCE: ELVIN AVILA
“All the English I know, I have learned here,” notes Elvin (pictured left), an ESL student who began in level 1 classes at Centro San Juan Diego and has now completed level 4, the highest level offered.
Originally from Honduras, Elvin now lives in Colorado with his wife, three children, and their dog. Two years ago, a friend invited Elvin to join him for English classes at Centro. Since then, Elvin has gained confidence in his language skills and his ability to interact with others in a variety of situations: at the DMV, the bank, the supermarket, and beyond. He feels most confident, however, at work. “My boss understands me more…I feel most sure of myself in my job.”
Elvin is grateful for all the encouragement he received from both his friends and the staff here at Centro. “Keep going. Every word that you learn in each class is a gain,” his friend told him. “That has helped me to continue.” He is motivated to learn even more so that he will not feel embarrassed when speaking with others who don't understand Spanish.
We are proud of Elvin and other students like him who persevere despite the challenges they face!
TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEER TRAINING
Tax season is nearly upon us and this month Centro San Juan Diego and the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation will begin a 5-week training session for bilingual tax prep volunteers. This certification training will provide volunteers the necessary tools to assist our community with their tax preparation in both English and Spanish.
We would not be able to provide this much needed service to the community without our dedicated volunteers. We are grateful for their willingness to dedicate their time and talent! Free tax preparation at Centro will begin on February 3rd and run through the duration of the tax season until April 13th.
NEW MEMBER OF TEAM CENTRO: LUCY MORRONI
A new year has brought a new staff member to Centro!
Lucy Morroni is Centro's new Operations Manager. She first started working at Centro in 2018, originally for the Hispanic Ministry team now housed in the main JPII campus of the Archdiocese. She is excited to be back at Centro in her new role!
She was born and raised in Denver but did not have much connection to the Hispanic community until she met her husband, a Mexican immigrant, and started working at Centro. Since then, she has not only gained first-hand knowledge and experience of the daily struggles that immigrants face but also of the great resilience and perseverance that so many members of this community have. She is grateful to work for an organization that helps the community gain the confidence and skills necessary to help them in the pursuit of their goals.
