My First Campus Tour - ¡En Español!

This afternoon I enjoyed leading my first campus tour – ¡en español! Elia, a monolingual Spanish-speaking individual who utilizes Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ (SFBFS) Clothing program, stopped by for a tour of the new Education & Technology Center. Her son is enrolled in SFBFS’ Youth Education program at Saca Community Learning Center, but she wanted to learn more about the other programs offered by the organization. SFBFS’ Programs Director, who is fluent in Spanish and often leads tours, was working off-site, granting me the opportunity to try my hand as a tour guide.

Our first stop was Adult Education, where I showed off our new Language Lab and explain its purpose. Elia was impressed that SFBFS offers Rosetta Stone software to learn English, which was made possible through a grant from State Street Foundation. Elia connected with the Adult Education Program Manager and Adult Education Technology Instructor on our tour.  She also got a peek of SFBFS’ Technology Lab where English as a Second Language students will soon begin their own PC Basics classes!

We continued on through Parent Education and Youth Education, where her son talked about how cool the youth camping trip from Saca CLC had been. We proceeded out the Demonstration Garden, where staff and volunteers were working vigorously, preparing for upcoming gardening classes. I encouraged Elia to bring her son to gardening classes during the summer. It is a fun opportunity for family bonding, as parents and children learn together how to grow their own healthy food.

Crossing the street to the Arata Brothers Building gave me the opportunity to test my Spanish vocabulary, as I do not often get a chance to use clothing-related verbiage. I correctly guessed that accessories translated to “accesorios” and sleeping bags were “Bolsas de Dormir” (at least in a few of the Spanish-speaking regions of the world).  When I received an affirmative node and smile from Elia, I knew I had chosen the correct words.  This provided wonderful moments of laughter and bonding!

I introduced her to SFBFS’ Senior Program Manager, who offered suggestions for our guest, as she struggles to help her neighbors who are in need of services for seniors. At the end of the tour I introduced Elia SFBFS’ Donation Drive Coordinator to explain how items arrive in SFBFS’ Clothing program via Guest Services.

Elia knew many of SFBFS’ faithful Clothing volunteers, who were sorting and hanging the items where she would be shopping just a few minutes later.  We finished our tour just in time for the Clothing Program Manager to open the doors to let the shoppers in!

Submitted by Brenda Wherry, Receptionist