Welcome to the United States: Resources for Immigrants

At the Library, yesterday, I got a call from Susan Bowers. Susan was seeking information about English classes (ESL) in the neighborhood where her neighbors could attend classes locally and learn English. Susan said that earlier she had talked with Joanne Iantorno, head of information at Radnor Memorial Library, and Joanne told her about the Delaware County Literacy Council located in Chester where new Pennsylvanians can go and take a test so they can be evaluated and then hopefully, get connected with an English language tutor in the neighborhood where they reside. Well, now we know that's one way you, a neighbor, or a friend of yours, can learn English. 

This morning, the Library received a letter from the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians about an upcoming workshop at Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr on Wednesday, October 17, 7-8:30pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Check out their site here:

http://www.welcomingcenter.org/

If you went to the website and typed in "19087" to find out where you could take an English class in our neighborhood, the only offering that pops up is the 10 Saturday ESL classes at the Church of the Savior. These are adult classes in groups (advanced, intermediate, & beginner) and even a one -on- one lesson.

(contact: YeungHahn@yahoo.com)

So, that's another way. But I agree with Susan that we should have another class in "19087". Perhaps this is something we can ask the Delaware County Literacy Council to once again have a class in our neighborhood as they did a few years ago but then stopped.

According to Peter Gonzalez, President and CEO of the Welcoming Center, the goal of the workshop at Ludington is to make sure that immigrants have the tools to become successful--as entrepreneurs, as worker, as parents and as community members. The workshop will include practical information about topics such as school enrollment, transferring professional credentials from abroad, finding English and citizenship classes, starting a business, and more.

The nonprofit Welcoming Center is an economic development organization based in Philadelphia and serves the five-county metropolitan area. Founded in 2003 by Irish immigrant (and Ardmore resident) Anne O'Callaghan,to date the Center has served over 9,000 individuals.