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  • deaf_hoss
    http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/12/16/16army.html





    Spanish speakers needed to hand out gifts at the Salvation Army
    By Andrea Ball

    AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF


    Saturday, December 16, 2006

    The Salvation Army needs Spanish speakers to help spread holiday cheer.

    On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the Salvation Army will distribute gifts at its South Congress Avenue warehouse to 4,600 local families: 3,600 through its Christmas assistance program, another 1,000 through Toys for Tots.


    Ricardo B. Brazziell
    AMERICAN-STATESMAN


    Salvation Army volunteer Alice Guerra, left, helps Elia Alonso with her Christmas present paperwork as Daniel Gimen?z, 1, sleeps Friday. This season 90 percent of the charity's clients speak only Spanish.

    Of those families, about 90 percent speak only Spanish, said Raul Munoz, the Salvation Army's community development director.

    "We have a record number of people that just speak Spanish and we want the process to be as smooth as possible," he said.

    Now the nonprofit group is looking for bilingual volunteers to help distribute presents several days next week. The volunteers must speak and read at least conversational Spanish and English.

    Until this year, the Salvation Army has made do with the three Spanish speakers on its gift-giving staff. But with 90 out of the 100 families to be served per hour only speaking Spanish, the nonprofit says it needs help.

    "We need folks to greet them and get their bags, ask the names of their children and that kind of stuff," Munoz said. "They can make them feel welcome or do problem solving."

    Salvation Army officials don't know what's behind the increase in clients who speak only Spanish.

    Spanish tops the list of languages other than English spoken in the Austin area, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

    About 6 million Texans older than age 5 spoke a language other than English in 2000. Of those, about 2.7 million spoke English less than "very well," the report states.

    Other local nonprofits with special holiday programs - including the Christmas Bureau, Brown Santa and El Buen Samaritano - said they haven't had an increased demand for Spanish-speaking volunteers. At El Buen Samaritano, where most of the clientele is Hispanic, many volunteers and staffers already speak Spanish. "We just look for someone who has a desire to connect," said Cary Duval, El Buen's outreach director.

    But for the 4,600 families picking up presents this week through the Salvation Army program, having bilingual volunteers is a logistical necessity, said Maj. Stephen Ellis, area commander of the Austin organization.

    "We could use 50 volunteers a day," he said. "It would just make things go smoother. "
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  • deaf_hoss
    Millionaire wants you to have World Class Shooting skills......

    http://www.frontsight.com/free-gun.asp
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  • deaf_hoss
    100_1368.jpg
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  • He Dog
    That's $3,400 in Real Value!
    So What is it Going to Cost You?
    Only $1,199.

    Ya gotta bet it only cost him $300.

    How the hell do you think he became a millionaire?
    0

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