Celebrating the volunteers devoted to language access
Hi Reader,
April is volunteer month – the month we highlight volunteers who are making a difference and helping Language Access across our area.
Did you know that World Speaks has multiple different ways to share your talents with the community? There’s the World Speaks board, who help guide and advise World Speaks, our in-class mentors, who share their language and culture with students who take our community classes, and then there are our community volunteers, who help us table at events and share the mission of World Speaks with the community!
Today, we’d like to introduce you to three of the volunteers who help us!
First up is Alex M. Speakar, who serves as a native speaker and event volunteer. Her goal? “To share with as many people as possible the resources available through World Speaks’ programs. Language access is important because words provide entry to the world and to the community around you. Language provides relationships, opportunities, education, and perspective we could never access without communication with others.” As a new Omaha resident, she sought out ways to get to know people in her new community, and we are so excited that she joined us as part of that exploration!
Next is Krystal Rider, the treasurer on our board, and the finance committee chair! Krystal helps guide World Speaks’ financial strategy so we can expand our language access services. Krystal came to language access work because, growing up in Los Angeles, “it was normal to see signs in multiple languages and interact with people worldwide. Language access was not a luxury; it was a right.” When she moved to Omaha, she was “struck by the disparities in access to interpretation, translation, and culturally competent services.” Krystal shared that she was drawn to volunteer with World Speaks because of our “clear mission to close the language gap in our community. It aligned perfectly with my lived experience and my desire to be part of something that drives real change - creating a community where language inclusion is the norm, not the exception.” We are so grateful that Krystal is on our board!
If you’ve taken community classes, you may be familiar with Anabelle Garcia, who helps with our Zoom meetings & practices speaking English with ESL learners! Annabelle shared that she came to language access work because “I sometimes work with people who only speak Spanish and not English. I feel proud to be able to communicate with them and help translate to better meet their needs.” We are so thankful for all her help!
Volunteers like Alex, Krystal and Anabelle, help World Speaks reach more people, teach languages and culture and help us plan the future of language access. If you want to get involved and help us achieve greater language access in our community, click the button below to be taken to our volunteer form!
