Advertisement

Reading Help for the Whole Family

Times Staff Writer

Esperanza Ramirez works 12-hour days as a machine operator at Technicolor in Camarillo. But whenever her rotating shift provides a weekday off, she works on improving her English skills at a south Oxnard church.

“If I learn two or three new words a day, that’s good for me,” said the 36-year-old mother of four. “When they have homework, I can help my children. I even understand better when my supervisor speaks to me.”

Ramirez is one of about 30 mothers from the neighborhood who participate in the Even Start Family Literacy program, sponsored by City Impact, a local nonprofit family-counseling and youth-mentoring agency that combines early childhood education, adult literacy instruction and parenting skills training.

Advertisement

While the Spanish-speaking adults study the proper use of singular versus plural nouns, their young children learn about colors, shapes, numbers and the alphabet in nearby classrooms.

“I’m so impressed with their dedication -- [some of them] coming to class every day for more than three hours, and learning a language that’s difficult,” said Heidi Sohn, a teacher of English as a second language who conducts the parents’ class. “They have to juggle their responsibilities and housework to be here. They work hard, they show progress and they’re proud of themselves.”

City Impact runs two Even Start programs, in cooperation with Oxnard Adult School, that serve more than 50 immigrant families. The second program shares donated space with a church in El Rio, north of Oxnard.

Advertisement

The programs received $15,000 from the 2004 Times Holiday Campaign. The annual drive raises money for nonprofit groups that assist disadvantaged children and youths in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

The money will pay for additional instructional materials and defray staff costs, said Jeannie Garcia, director of the El Rio program, which also provides daily hot meals. Garcia and her staff of eight coordinate with other agencies to provide a food pantry, rental assistance and family counseling.

“It’s a great opportunity for the families, especially for the moms,” said Fany Cancino, head of the El Rio program’s Parent Teacher Assn. “A lot of moms can’t get to school because of their children, but we have classes right here. And they even help with the transportation.”

Advertisement

*

HOW TO GIVE

The annual Holiday Campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Donations to the campaign to help disadvantaged children and youths should be sent to L.A. Times Holiday Campaign, File 56986, Los Angeles, CA 90074-6986. Do not send cash.

Credit card donations can be made at latimes.com/holidaycampaign. Information: (800) LATIMES, Ext. 75771.

Advertisement