CLASP latches on to needs of Latinos

The Council of Latino Service Providers (CLASP) includes Catholic Charities of Montgomery County, St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam, Centro Civico of Amsterdam, and Hispanic Outreach Services, a Catholic Charities agency.

CLASP's goals are to enhance communication among the agencies, disseminate information about programs and services, advocate for policies that will enable government agencies and others to be more responsive to the needs of the Latino community, and provide a forum through which agencies can pool resources.

Community effort

"It is the entire community working together for the community," said Sister Anne Tranelli, CSJ, executive director of Hispanic Outreach Services.

Al Turo, executive director of Catholic Charities of Montgomery County, is also pleased by the community aspect of CLASP. "We can work together to break down the stereotypes, find solutions and assist the community," he said. "We need to be able to live together as a community without divisions."

Cultural questions

In Latino cultures, he explained, family is conceptualized differently than in many Anglo cultures. To Latinos, family is more than the nuclear family; it includes extended family and close friends. In Latino cultures, therefore, a person facing difficulties turns to her family rather than the government or agencies for help.

For that reason, Mr. Rossy-Millan said, Latinos would care for elderly relatives on their own rather than place them in a nursing home.

Personal touch

"Latinos need to develop a personal relationship before engaging in business," he said.

If a Latino approaches an agency for help and has to provide private information, he would need to feel he had a relationship with the agency employee before providing the information.

Breaking through

"We need to break down barriers between families and providers," he said. "The challenge is reaching folks. We're trying to do outreach to a community that is closed and that wants to take care of itself. There are ways we can help."

One example occurred when St. Mary's Hospital was interested in having a Hispanic outreach worker but could fund only a part-time position. When Catholic Charities was interested in the same role, the two pooled their resources to fund one full-time position.

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