Positive Feedback from Community Partner

Update below.

The hectic period of student enrollment and scheduling in the Spanish community service learning courses is almost over. It is a difficult period for all: students have to make decisions about a course that is different than what they may have expected, TAs have to field issues that they never had to touch in the other classes they have taught, and I have to bring together the needs of the community partners, students, TAs and the program itself in about two weeks.

Whew!

But as a reminder of why I--and the others involved--do it, I received this positive feedback from a Board Member at A Woman's Fund:

"I can’t begin to tell you what an impact your program of offering translation has done for the residents and clients of A Woman’s Place. You’ve made it possible for us to reach communities of women and children that we simply haven’t been able to serve."

This Board Member is putting together a panel for the Public Engagement Symposium, and I will participate. Perhaps some students can also join us.

As all of us who do community service learning know, our goal is to always create mutually beneficial relationships. It's good to get feedback from the community letting us know that they do indeed benefit from the partnership.

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Even more positive feedback from the same partner!

Let me give you some more positive feedback -- Tami Tunnell, our Executive Director (who I'm cc'ing on this email), has told us that our translation program has made us a magnet for Spanish-speaking clients from shelters in other parts of central Illinois. Like us, they are seeing an increase in demand for services from Spanish-speaking women and children, but they're not in a position to help those clients, so they send them to us. Tami has also told us that she thinks the availability of these services have resulted in the spread of word-of-mouth, which also leads to more women from Spanish-speaking communities to seek us out.

So again, our many, many thanks!!