These were the words that began my first Spanish lesson in high school, where I got hooked on languages. Not only did I love learning languages, but I was good at it too. Growing up in a bilingual household where my parents spoke to me in both French and English was just the beginning. I found my passion for learning languages early on. The more I studied and practiced my Spanish, the better I became. This was the beginning that sparked a passion of mine that I would carry with me into my service as a NHC Florida AmeriCorps member almost 11 years later.
I joined National Health Corps Florida because I knew it would give me an opportunity to serve the community while learning more about public health. Fortunately, Jacksonville is a great place to serve because it has such a diverse population. It is home to people from many different cultural backgrounds including Haitian, German, Puerto Rican, French and many others. For me it meant that I had the opportunity to challenge myself in service by reaching out to non-English speaking populations.
When I began service, I got busy translating flyers and important prenatal care information from English to Spanish. I also started brainstorming places I could contact in order to reach my target population. Among the places on the list I created were churches, non-profits, community clinics and Spanish supermarkets. Not too long after I began my outreach in the community, I got my first call which happened to come from a Spanish speaker. It worked! Throughout the rest of my term I was able to expand our services to identify and serve pregnant women who did not speak English or had limited English proficiency. I have served clients that speak Spanish and French as their native language, and I was even able to lead a Safe Sleep Seminar in Spanish at the Cultural Learning Center of Duval County Public Schools.
One of my biggest takeaways from my service term is that public health is a very flexible field with plenty of creative ways to get your message across to clients in the community. I would encourage incoming NHC members and those in the business of helping people to think outside the box. Use your talents, no matter how big or small, and find ways to incorporate them into your service to the community.
“Hola clase…” he said as he started teaching.
When I began service, I got busy translating flyers and important prenatal care information from English to Spanish. I also started brainstorming places I could contact in order to reach my target population. Among the places on the list I created were churches, non-profits, community clinics and Spanish supermarkets. Not too long after I began my outreach in the community, I got my first call which happened to come from a Spanish speaker. It worked! Throughout the rest of my term I was able to expand our services to identify and serve pregnant women who did not speak English or had limited English proficiency. I have served clients that speak Spanish and French as their native language, and I was even able to lead a Safe Sleep Seminar in Spanish at the Cultural Learning Center of Duval County Public Schools.