October 3, 2001
Ministry reaches out to Hispanics
Education fair draws 25 people
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Making a book for their children, learning the basics of Food Pyramid nutrition and working through income tax snarls may not sound like typical Sunday afternoon fare.
But for 25 members of the Hispanic Ministry based at the Immaculate Conception Church, Sunday's education fair was a chance to empower themselves through education.
Sponsored by the Michigan State University Extension, the fair was part of Hispanic Culture Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15.
While their children worked puzzles, colored or played with clay, the parents circulated among the dozen booths, gathering information as they went. Gardening, drinking water, safe pesticide application, easy-to-make learning tools and identifying bugs and spiders rounded out the offerings. Translators stationed throughout the room helped get the information across in Spanish and relay questions back to the presenters.
"This is very interesting," said Daniel Hernandez of Brownsville, Texas. "The tax information was helpful. I also made a book for my daughter."
The Grand Traverse area boasts a growing year-round Hispanic population, generated by families coming for seasonal agricultural work and setting down roots. The ministry has between 20 and 100 families participating, still fluctuating widely with the seasonal worker population but a core have made the Grand Traverse region their home.
Offering an event such as the fair provided a needed service to the Hispanic community, said Sylvia Cortes, coordinator of the Hispanic Ministry.
"An event like this is very, very important," she added. "People are very happy because there are translators here."
Cortes said that members of the Hispanic Ministry are hungry for education about all topics. They see it as a way to improve their own lives and the lives of their children.
"The more people know the more they can be empowered because knowledge is power," said Cortes, a native of Mexico who has lived here six years. "This is very important for everybody because the more education you have the more you can improve yourself."
The Hispanic Ministry is five years old, getting its start with weekly Masses in Spanish during the summer months. Father Garcia of the St. Wenceslaus of Suttons Bay is the spiritual leader of the ministry and conducts marriages and visits the sick as needed. He conducts Mass in Spanish twice a week, on Sunday afternoons at Immaculate Conception and on Saturday evenings at St. Wenceslaus.
From that beginning, the ministry began to expand its offerings, tapping into the strong ties members of the Hispanic culture have to their church. The ministry began providing English as a second language education, social contacts and religious education.
Bridging the language and cultural barrier is a crucial service of the ministry, Cortes said.
"There are a lot of cultural differences and we try to help people fit into the larger culture without losing their identity," she said. "We are a proud culture and want to celebrate and honor our Mexican heritage."
In June of 2000, the program expanded to a year-round schedule because of an expanding permanent Hispanic population prompted the move. A booming economy and low unemployment lured agricultural workers from their mobile life into permanent jobs around the region. Adjusting to this change by getting children in school and learning the ropes of local life prompted even more calls for help.
"We needed to expand because people were asking for help all the time, year round," Cortes said. "We don't have the budget to help out with money but we can provide different kind of services and tell them where to go for help or information."