PERSEVERING THROUGH PRAYER
We have been in self quarantine for more than a month now, and our lives are different than before. Family life, work schedules, and social relationships have all changed; our religious and sacramental lives have changed as well, with Lent and Easter, especially, having a very different meaning this year.
Many have had trouble adapting to the “new normal,” perhaps struggling with anxiety or depression and missing family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Some of us may be dealing with the loss of a job, or even the loss of a friend or family member due to this virus.
Whatever you may be struggling with, please know that we are praying for you and all your needs. We hope you are doing well. We are aware of how challenging this time has become for all of us but, together we can make the difference.
Soon we may be able to see each other again, in church, at the store, or even here at Centro. In the meantime, we will continue offering our classes and services online. We are already registering students and setting groups for our next session of classes thanks to the continued support of our volunteers and donors.
Feel free to reach out and join us in finding new ways to serve our community.
May Our Lady protect us all.
Alfonso Lara
SUPPORTING MOTHERS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES
The past couple of months have presented several changes and challenges to daily life, especially for parents and families. Responding to these changes, Centro San Juan Diego and the Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries have joined forces to offer a new virtual program called "Dialogue Among Mothers."
Speaking about the collaborative nature of the program, Alejandra Bravo, Associate Director of Hispanic Evangelization, says:
"The fact that we can offer an 'evangelizing' perspective through our office and a 'social/educational' perspective through Centro makes this a very unique group and enables us to provide these mothers with a deeper, more profound accompaniment. It is a blessing to be able to unite forces between the two offices."
The purpose of this program is to detect the new needs of mothers and families and find ways to assist them. The program focuses on several key areas including stress management for both parents and children, effective communication, and the new challenge of home schooling. While this initiative serves as a virtual support group for mothers, the hope is to continue growing the program offline after the current coronavirus concerns subside.
"Dialogue Among Mothers" works in conjunction with two other family support programs, Familias Fuertes, offered by Vuela for Health at Centro San Juan Diego, and Familias Virtuosas, a follow up program to Familias Fuertes designed for parents and children (teenagers) to address different topics such as effective communication, spirituality, sexuality, addictions, and mental health, all from a Catholic perspective.
Still in development, the Familias Virtuosas program is expected to launch at Centro San Juan Diego and in two to three parishes as well, where it will serve families who have children in catechism classes.
CENTRO SAN JUAN DIEGO LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
Over the past couple of months, online presence has become more important than ever before. In many cases, extended stay-at-home orders, online learning, and remote working have made us all acutely aware of our dependence on the Internet and the need for updated and reliable technology.
Centro's new website has been a long-term project, but current circumstances have proven to be the necessary push to get it up and running! Besides having a more updated look, the new website allows students to register and pay for classes online, find information about Centro's other services, and look for other valuable community resources. Please visit https://centrosanjuandiego.org to check it out!
UPCOMING CLASSES, NOW ONLINE!
As the current session of classes begins to wrap up, Centro San Juan Diego looks forward to beginning new classes in mid-May. These upcoming classes will be the first to launch entirely online, without any prior in-classroom instruction!
Centro's program coordinators have worked hard over the past several weeks to make online classes a reality. While staff and teachers now have a better idea of how to implement these classes, the learning process continues as everyone adjusts to new platforms and methods.
Despite presenting some challenges, this new approach to online learning offers greater flexibility to students and teachers while removing transportation barriers and broadening outreach--Centro has even begun to receive calls from interested students outside the state of Colorado!
This summer session will include English as a Second language (ESL), Citizenship in English, and two separate GED modules focusing on Mathematics and Language Arts. Registration is now open! Call 303-295-9470 or visit centrosanjuandiego.org for more information.
UPLIFTING STUDENTS THROUGH SHARED MISSION
For several years, Centro San Juan Diego has partnered with Arrupe Jesuit High School to sponsor a student through the school's Corporate Work Study program. Much like the mission of Centro San Juan Diego, Arrupe's goal is to equip students with the education and experience they need to reach their full potential and become leaders in their communities as well as productive members of society.
Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, Arrupe anticipates needing more corporate partners than ever to support their most deserving students. If you are interested in learning more, or know of another company that may be a good fit for this program, please contact Rick Ninneman, Director, at 720-726-3429 or rninneman@arrupemail.org or Sonia Adame, Business Recruitment Associate, at 720-726-3407 or sadame@arrupemail.org
OTHER UPDATES AND RESOURCES
The AARP Tax-Aide free tax preparation program at Centro is currently suspended until further notice due to coronavirus concerns. The July 15th deadline extension may permit the re-opening of this program in the coming weeks, but please refer to these federal and state online filing resources in the meantime.
Looking for our Legal Nights? Free telephone consultations are available every Wednesday evening during the month of May. Space is limited. Please call 720-507-8343 to make an appointment.
Starting in May, census takers will begin interviewing households that have not responded. You can maintain social distancing and avoid a knock on your door by completing the 2020 Census today! Visit 2020census.gov to get started. There are no questions about legal/immigration status. All answers are confidential and protected by law.
