INNOVATORS Gold Award - New Orleans City Business

NONPROFIT
Latino Apostolate of
the Episcopal Church
Key innovation: conversational English language classes
Biggest clients: migrant workers
Where they’re based: New Orleans
Top executive: Jamie McDaniel, director of social services
Year introduced: 2008
PHOTO BY TRACIE MORRIS SCHAEFER
WHEN AN INFLUX of Hispanics arrived in New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help in the rebuilding,
Jamie McDaniel knew the city would have a need
for new services.
Having volunteered in Guatemala after college, she began
tutoring a few Hispanic workers in English. Her goal was to
help them become more productive members of the community
and to provide them with access to social services.
Teaching wherever she could — sometimes on porches,
sometimes outdoors in the Ninth Ward — she set up shop at
St. Anna’s Episcopal Church on Esplanade Avenue and
word began to spread.
“We had a huge amount of interest,” McDaniel said.
“More than 30 and 40 people started showing up regularly
and so we expanded to every weeknight.”
McDaniel said that because many people attending
the classes have little or no formal educational background,
she uses a softer teaching style instead of total
immersion. She focuses on phrases and words students
will need to use in their daily lives and balances that with
building blocks such as grammar, vocabulary, structure
and sentences.
“We think that is something that distinguishes what we
do. We vary student by student, but it’s a pretty soft introduction.
We try to get people to express themselves in
English as best as possible.”
Brazilian native Claudemir Garvin has been in the United
States for five years but said he has had a difficult time learning
English. Garvin, an electrician, started taking classes at
the Apostolate in January and has seen significant improvements
in his English language skills.
“I’ve never taken a class before, just started this year. I
try learning English every day, and it’s important for us to
know it, even in my own country,” Garvin said.
McDaniel began offering other services on a case-bycase
basis such as interpretations and help for dealing with
legal documents and health care needs. The program continued
to grow and soon had three levels of classes. It was
eventually turned into a ministry of the church and given
funding from St. Anna’s.
In May, the church hired a Spanish-speaking deacon and
began offering worship services in Spanish after the classes.
McDaniel has plans to work with other area churches and
would like to offer more social services and educational programs
in computers and health.•
— Craig Guillot
St. Anna’s Episcopal Church social services director Jamie McDaniel, center, meets with Latino Apostolate of the Episcopal Church clients,
clockwise from McDaniel, Antonio Rivas, Felicitas Uriarte, Claudio Fuentes and Reino Pena.
New Orleans CityBusiness 45A