Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center Inc

BY COORDINATING SERVICES AND INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS, THE CHESAPEAKE MULTICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER EMPOWERS PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND ENGAGED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH EDUCATION AND DIRECT SERVICES WE STRIVE TO BREAKDOWN CULTURAL BARRIERS THAT ARISE FROM DIFFERENCE IN LANGUAGE, APPEARANCE OR ETHNIC TRADITIONS. WE ENVISION A COMMUNITY THAT PARTNERS TO EMBRACE DIVERSITY.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM FOR BOTH ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, BOY SCOUTS, GIRL SCOUTS AND HEALTH LITERACY PROGRAMS. AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS AND THE TALBOT FAMILY NETWORK HEALTHY HABITS GRANT. THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM PROVIDES A FORMAL TWO HOUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR 100 STUDENTS IN GRADES 1 TO 5 AT EASTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. INSTRUCTION IS PROVIDED BY CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS SUPPORTED BY COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. THE PROGRAM IS FREE OF CHARGE AND OPEN TO ANY STUDENT; PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO CHILDREN FROM LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WITH THE GREATEST ACADEMIC NEED. THE HIGH SCHOOL AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM CONSISTS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO MENTOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PREPARING FOR COLLEGE AND ALSO A PROGRAM TO MENTOR NEW ARRIVAL STUDENTS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING (ELL).

RESOURCE CENTER & IMMIGRATION CLINIC - PROVIDES A ONE-STOP INFORMATION AND REFERRAL ALONG WITH DIRECT SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES ADAPT TO THEIR NEW COMMUNITY. ANYONE CAN ACCESS THE CENTER FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE, HELP WITH TRANSLATIONS AND COMPLETING DOCUMENTS AND REFERRALS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS. THE CENTER PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO CLIENTS FOR IMMIGRATION LAW AS WELL AS ENROLLING FAMILIES INTO EITHER MEDICAID OR HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS. THE MOST FREQUENT REQUESTS WERE FOR HELP IN IMMIGRATION LAW, OBTAINING DRIVER'S LICENSES, PAYMENT OF INCOME TAXES, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENTS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND GENERAL LEGAL AID AND FAMILY SUPPORT. THE MAJORITY OF THE RESOURCE CENTER AND IMMIGRATION CLINIC IS FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH UNRESTRICTED DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS. CHESMRC ALSO PROVIDES ENROLLMENT OF ELIGIBLE FAMILIES INTO HEALTH INSURANCE OR MEDICAID PLANS AND HAS (2) TRAINED CERTIFIED APPLICATION COUNSELORS ONSITE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. THE IMMIGRATION CLINIC ASSISTS CLIENTS WITH IMMIGRATION ISSUES AND ASSISTANCE ON OBTAINING US CITIZENSHIP FOR DACA, TPS AND FAMILY BASED APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS. THE CENTER IS A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION WHICH ALLOWS FOR PROVIDING ALL US CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS) WITHOUT NEED OF AN ATTORNEY.ADULT EDUCATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A NUMBER OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS INCLUDING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) & ADULT LITERACY PROGRAMS THE CENTER IS A BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS (BIA) ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION TO THE CENTER IS A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY & INTERPRETER PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON TWO GENERAL AREAS - LINGUISTIC CAPACITY (BILINGUAL ENGLISH-SPANISH) COMMUNICATION. COMMUNITY INTERPRETING TRAININGS ARE BEING OFFERED AS AN OUTCOME OF THE INITIATIVE - GRADUATES FROM THE PROGRAM RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE THAT IS CONSIDERED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR PROFRESSIONAL INTERPRETATION IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS. THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY WORKS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING A TWO-HOUR TRAINING (OPTIMAL THREE HOURS) PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT CULTURAL DIVERSITY, CULTURAL COMPETENCE, SELF-AWARENESS, CROSS CULTURAL DYNAMICS AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. THE PRESENTATIONS FEATURE A CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITY AS AN EMPIRICAL EXAMPLE TO INTEGRATED THE VARIOUS CONCEPTS. FUNDING HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR THIS INITIATIVE FROM TALBOT COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES, TALBOT COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, TALBOT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TALBOT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND THE RURAL MARYLAND COUNCIL (MAERFDAF) FUND. SINCE INCEPTION, 900 INDIVIDUALS HAVE ATTENDED THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY PRESENTATIONS AND 38 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED THE 40-HOUR WEEK INTERPRETER TRAINING PROGRAM. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A SELF-SUSTAINING NETWORK OF PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED INTERPRETERS, CAPABLE OF DELIVERING CULTURALLY COMPETENT SERVICES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.