CONCILIO CDS INC. VOLUNTEERS ADVOCATING FOR ALL SENIORS AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN NEW MEXICO
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORT OUR SENIOR VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO!!
WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER!
Senior Corps seminars provide a chance for Senior Corps program directors to come together. Here, Josefina Mata, Concilio CDS Inc. Executive Director, talks about the benefits of the CNCS Transformation and Sustainability Plan. #SCSeminars
XOCHITL TORRES-SMALL SHARING THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND FINANCIAL AWARENESS FOR OLDER ADULTS THROUGH MONEY SMART WEEK
INTERGENERATIONAL FUN!
BECAUSE WHEN WE ALL COME TOGETHER AND CREATE TOGETHER , WE BUILD COMMUNITY AND MAKE THIS WORLD BRIGHTER FOR ALL!
CONCILIO CDS INC.
“The attendees concluded that in order to achieve the goal of wellbeing and aging with dignity for older adults, it is necessary to guarantee the emotional and physical health of those who take care of them, as well as their financial stability.”
—NHCOA
From left, Estela Vásquez, Foster Grandparent Program volunteer; Julia Gil, Senior Companion Program volunteer; Alicia de Leon, FGP volunteer; Josefina Mata, Concilio CDS Inc. Executive Director; Julian Resendis, SCP volunteer; Cruz Valdez, SCP volunteer; and David Rios, SCP volunteer pose for a picture.
When Julian Resendis, 81, a Sunland Park resident, retired, he felt like everything was over, until he found out about the volunteer opportunities for seniors through Concilio Campesino del Sudoeste, Inc., a statewide community-based nonprofit organization with offices in Las Cruces, San Miguel, Silver City and Gallup.
As a volunteer with Concilio's Senior Companion Program, Resendis works with the elderly and other adults who have physical, emotional or mental health limitations by providing companionship, transportation to places like the doctor's office or the grocery store and help with activities in the home.
"I can make a difference, not only in my client's family, but in my own family as well, because my family is not worried that I'm depressed or sad," said Resendis, who speaks Spanish and talked to My Las Cruces through a translator. "When I retired, I felt seniors might be seen as disposable objects, but they're not because they can still contribute and they can still help."
Concilio Campesino del Sudoeste, which means Council for Farm Workers of the Southwest, started in San Miguel, New Mexico 43 years ago, in 1972, to address the needs of the farm worker population, said Concilio Executive Director Josefina Mata.
"They formed this council nationwide and then in New Mexico, there used to be four councils — Council of the Southwest, the southeast, northwest and northeast — and we're the one that's still standing," she said. "Other councils in other states are no longer in existence."
Today, Concilio serves seniors, youth, families, migrant and seasonal farm workers, veterans, immigrants and a large percent of people who are Spanish speakers or bilingual by addressing health disparities, economic crisis, poverty, education, hunger and other areas through community volunteerism.
"Our approach is a multigenerational approach, where we recruit volunteers of all ages to help each other to build community," Mata said. "Whatever is happening in our community, we want to focus on and help make a difference through volunteerism."
Several components exist under Concilio's umbrella of services, including civic engagement, in which participants can earn help, or time credit, by giving their time to help others; AmeriCorps Legacy, a national project in which members provide respite care to individuals who are taking care of a family member; health promotion; tobacco prevention and control and senior volunteer programs for people ages 55 and older.
"We have more than 800 volunteers in Concilio within all of the different programs," Mata said.
Concilio also is host to a Foster Grandparent Program, in which volunteers work with children in schools, Head Start programs and youth centers in Doña Ana and Grant counties to help them develop academic and life skills.
"They focus on helping children succeed — those students who might be falling behind with their schoolwork — helping them to become successful in their studies and to improve behavior and educational outcome," Mata said. "They are kind of like a team. Not only to the teacher (of the class), but the parents, in the educational growth of the child and the emotional part. They're really focusing on being a role model for the students."
Estela Vásquez, 70, from Anthony, Texas, has participated in the Foster Grandparent Program for the past three years and has served as a volunteer with Concilio since 1979.
Vásquez, who speaks mainly Spanish, said the Foster Grandparent Program has been fulfilling. She volunteers at Gadsden Elementary School, where she helps Spanish-speaking children struggling with math.
"It can be very difficult for them, so I explain it to them and take the time to help them," Vásquez said through Mata, who translated.
Vásquez said one of the things she enjoys about being a member of the Foster Grandparent Program is that the children she works with make her feel loved and appreciated. One example she described is when she couldn't make it to school on Valentine's Day and the children set out Valentine's Day cards for her when she returned. Vásquez said she was also once brought to tears when a student asked to be one of her children.
Alicia De Leon, 59, a resident of Sunland Park, who also volunteers for the Foster Grandparent Program, said participating in the program allows her to give back to the community and stay busy after her husband had passed away.
"I worked in the schools for 15 years as a substitute teacher," De Leon said through Mata, who translated. "I went on disability, but still wanted to continue to work. When I turned 55, I became a foster grandparent."
De Leon, who works with third-graders at Sunland Park Elementary School, said she enjoys watching children learn and improve. De Leon said when she sees students outside of the program, they often call her "grandma."
Concilio CDS Inc. is in need of monetary donations or donations of blankets, coats and sweaters, which can be taken to Concilio's main office, Mata said. Checks can be made out to "Concilio CDS Inc." and mailed to the Las Cruces office at 2220 S. Solano Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88001. Those interested in volunteering can call 575-521-9814.
Alexia Severson
Las Cruces Sun News
“Winning Strategies:
Partnering with Public System
Strengthening Families
Intergenerational Relationships”
Inviting Latino Families Into the Classroom
Resilience and school success are strongly impacted by
factors outside of the traditional classroom, including
poverty, health and family circumstances. The Concilio
Campesino del Sudoeste (Concilio CDS Inc.) in Las Cruces,
N.M., operates a foster grandparent program in partnership
with schools throughout Southern New Mexico. Executive
Director Josefina Mata believes that, as foster grandparents,
these senior volunteers fill an important role in many Latino
immigrant families. She explains that, while many immigrant
families arrived without grandparents, the Latino family unit
often is not limited to parents and children, but also includes
grandparents, aunts and uncles to guide children and young
people. The special respect accorded to grandparents makes
seniors particularly effective tutors and mentors, both at
school and in life.
Concilio Campesino del Sudoeste’s Foster Grandparent
program assigns volunteers 55 years and older to work at
schools close to their homes. While Concilio CDS Inc. focuses
on early childhood and primary education, volunteers are
placed in schools from Head Start centers through the high
school level. Foster Grandparents work one-on-one, or in
small groups with struggling students to help them meet
performance benchmarks for each grade, For example, they
focus on independence skills in Head Start, on reading skills in
early elementary, and on developing fine arts techniques in high
school. Mata said that the emotional support and one-on-one
attention from a Foster Grandparent gives underperforming
students the confidence they need to keep trying.
Mata said that Foster Grandparenting is a reciprocal program,
whereby older adults on limited incomes are re-engaged with
their community. The program keeps them physically and
mentally active and can help to fill the gap for those Foster
Grandparents who don’t have family in New Mexico. Finally,
the program provides Foster Grandparents a minimal stipend
to cover their participation costs. Concilio CDS Inc. provides
Foster Grandparents with an orientation and monthly trainnings,
and it coordinates with the districts, schools and teachers to
ensure that Foster Grandparents are effective in the classroom.
About Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)
HIP brings together grantmakers to find solutions to the structural underfunding of
one of the nation’s greatest resources: the growing U.S. Latino community. In doing
so, HIP provides information, referrals and advice to foundations seeking to support
Latino leadership and capacity building; supports Latino leaders in philanthropy,
from the newest to those already in the top tier; seeds capacity building for
Latino nonprofits at the local level, and promotes philanthropic collaboration and
investment in areas of critical need, including aging, LGBTQ, Latino men and boys,
education and other issues.
For more information, please visit www.hiponline.org.
About the report
The current research results from a partnership between Hispanics in Philanthropy
(HIP) and The California Endowment. The study was a joint effort between HIP,
Frontline Solutions, and independent consultants as part of HIP’s ongoing work to
increase support for Latino Men and Boys.
This is a guest post by Joe Martinez, Consumer Outreach Coordinator for Health Action New Mexico. Be sure to check out HANM’s blog for more coverage of their work.
May 3, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. found me driving through miles of pecan groves in the southern part of New Mexico. I was heading to the first event in Health Action New Mexico’s (HANM) spring series, “It’s a New Day for Health Care in New Mexico.” These gatherings are cultural events aimed at educating communities about their new health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act. (ACA)
With 25 percent of New Mexicans currently uninsured or underinsured, we estimate that nearly 170,000 people will be eligible for the Medicaid Expansion in New Mexico, and another 200,000 for the Marketplace. HANM is hosting these cultural learning events to bring greater awareness about health insurance options to communities. If our first event is any indication, people are excited to find out about the changes that are occurring, and feeling empowered to make healthy decisions for themselves and their families.
The first event was held in San Miguel, a small village in Doña Ana county. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by more than a hundred welcoming faces ready to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo and hear about the new health insurance opportunities in New Mexico! Our co-host for the event, Concilio Campesino, a non-profit organization that offers community services to residents in southern New Mexico, was vital to ensuring the wonderful turnout.
The program began with celebratory music to commemorate el Cinco de Mayo. Then, after the Concilio Campesino team welcomed attendees, HANM stepped in with a brief presentation in Spanish to discuss the benefits the ACA will offer families, focusing on both the Medicaid Expansion and the state’s health insurance Marketplace. This presentation was an introduction, providing attendees with the basics of eligibility, the application processes, and what help exists should they encounter any challenges in enrolling.
We also introduced the community to the next step of our project; entitled "You Are Not Alone." This effort will create collaboratives of local community leaders to help individuals enroll in Medicaid or the Marketplace. Afterwards, we made sure to leave plenty of time for a question and answer period, and closed the event with a return to the music.
In addition to the great turnout, the participants were enthusiastic to learn about various health options, asked great questions, and committed to sharing the information with others.
Our key strategy in these community events is to share factual information in the simplest, most actionable terms possible. HANM’s goal is for New Mexican families to be able to take their health care into their own hands; we made sure to leave everyone with a checklist that walks them through their eligibility for these new health insurance options.
HANM will be holding more events throughout the spring to celebrate a new day in health care with live music and important information.
-- Joe Martinez, Consumer Outreach Coordinator Health Action New Mexico
GRADUATING CLASS OF VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THEIR INSTRUCTOR
Miguel Angel Bautista La Voz de Nuevo Mexico Nov. 28, 2008
Miguel Angel Bautista ALBUQUERQUE — Organizaciones binacionales de México-EE.UU. trabajarán juntos para ofrecer un programa de salud a los mexicanos por medio de la Ventanilla de Salud en el Consulado Mexicano en Albuquerque. Esta ventanilla será la no. 29 en el país.
Gustavo de Unánue Aguirre, cónsul titular de México, junto a directivos y representantes de ambos países, dijeron que la Ventanilla de Salud será un programa que servirá como una puerta para dar información a la población mexicana y latina sobre la salud.
Visitantes también recibirán referencias de proveedores asequibles o alcanzables para sus bolsillos.
"La Ventanilla de Salud es un programa generoso, solidario y humano, un programa que se hace en equipo. En nuestro caso este es un 'dream team', compuesto por el Cáncer Center, el gobierno de México y Nuevo México y [la organización] Concilio Campesino", indicó Unánue.
"¿Cuantas personas de nuestras familias no acuden a los centros de salud por su estatus migratorio o por no tener acceso a una información adecuada?" dijo Unánue. "¿Cuántas enfermedades se pueden prevenir, cuantas angustias se pueden evitar y cuantas vidas se pueden salvar sólo informándose ... y teniendo un acceso adecuado a un servicio de salud? Para esto es la Ventanilla de Salud", agregó.
Unánue dijo además que la salud es un derecho humano y universal y que la salud no distingue entre el estatus migratorio, ni fronteras o visas.
El cónsul titular congenió además sobre el compromiso del Presidente Felipe Calderón y el gobierno de México, además del convenio que el gobierno de N.M., el Concilio Campesino CDS, Inc y el Cancer Center de la Universidad de Nuevo México (UNM) tienen.
"Concilio está orgulloso de participar en la ventanilla... Concilio está comprometido para servir como miembro activo... y [tiene] el compromiso cívico para ayudar a las familias para encontrar soluciones para si mismas. Entonces, todos juntos cerraremos esa brecha de disparidades de salud en nuestras comunidades", dijo Mata, directora del Concilio….
José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, secretario de Salud de México, dijo que el gobierno apoya al proyecto porque los servicios son indispensables.
"Las ventanillas han sido tomadas con interés y con una gran respuesta dado que el mismo año pasado más de 2.2 millones emigrantes mexicanos recibieron beneficios a través de ellas", dijo Córdoba Villalobos.
Córdova Villalobos dijo que el congreso mexicano aprobó cerca de 15 millones de dólares para sustanciar en el 2009 proyectos de salud en el extranjero. Entre estos proyectos existe la de una tarjeta telefónica, la cual podrá ser usada para consultar problemas de salud por teléfono, y ayuda en descuentos de la compra de medicamentos.
"Lo más importante es que haya una conciencia por cada quien por su salud tempranamente, igual que en México, la salud no debe de ser un privilegio de aquellos que tienen trabajo, la salud debe ser un derecho para todos", finalizó.
Mexican Consulate inaugurates Health Window Córdova Villalobos: 'Health must be a right for all’
Miguel Angel Bautista ALBUQUERQUE - Binational Organizations of Mexico-USA. They will work together to offer a health program to Mexicans through the Health Window at the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque. This window will be the no. 29 in the country.
Gustavo de Unánue Aguirre, Mexico's consul, along with executives and representatives from both countries, said that the Ventanilla de Salud will be a program that will serve as a gateway to provide information to the Mexican and Latino population about health.
Visitors will also receive affordable or affordable vendor referrals for their pockets.
"The Ventanilla de Salud is a generous, caring and humane program, a program that is done as a team. In our case this is a 'dream team', made up of the Cancer Center, the government of Mexico and New Mexico and Concilio CDS Inc., "said Unánue.
"How many people in our families do not go to health centers because of their immigration status or because they do not have access to adequate information?" Unánue said. "How many diseases can be prevented, how many anguishes can be avoided and how many lives can be saved just by being informed ... and having adequate access to a health service? This is what the Health Window is for," he added.
Unánue also said that health is a universal and human right and that health does not distinguish between immigration status, borders or visas.
The incumbent consul also agreed on the commitment of President Felipe Calderón and the government of Mexico, in addition to the agreement that the N.M. government, Concilio CDS Inc. and the Cancer Center of the University of New Mexico (UNM) have.
"Concilio is proud to participate at the window ... Concilio is committed to serving as an active member ... and [has] a civic commitment to help families find solutions for themselves. So together we will close that gap in health disparities in our communities, "said Mata, director of the Concilio CDS Inc….
José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, Mexico's secretary of Health, said the government supports the project because services are essential.
"The windows have been taken with interest and with a great response given that last year more than 2.2 million Mexican immigrants received benefits through them," said Córdoba Villalobos.
Córdova Villalobos said the Mexican congress approved about $15 million to fund health projects abroad in 2009. Among these projects there is a phone card, which can be used to consult health problems over the phone, and help with discounts on the purchase of medicines.
"The most important thing is that there is a conscience for everyone for their health early, as in Mexico, health should not be a privilege of those who have jobs, health should be a right for everyone," he concluded.