On July 30th, we celebrated the graduates of the twelve week English program which took place at the New Hope Church in Albany.

Pastor Bea Cardona of the New Hope Church in Albany identified a need for English instruction among the Spanish speaking churchgoers and reached out to LVORC for help. Three groups were formed and each have met to gain skills in everyday English. Students practiced calling the doctor’s office, shopping for groceries, and asking for directions.

According to Pastor Bea, “I have seen great progress in one of the students from the beginners English class. Normally she comes to me and I call her doctors to make appointments. Most recently I have seen her confidence grow and now she can start the conversation by stating, ‘I speak little English. My name is … and I need an appointment.’ This is a huge accomplishment for this student.”

Lots of big thanks to tutors Katie Suhr, Lynn Weiskopf, Marcia Schultz and Connie Gatt for generously giving their time by planning lessons and instructing classes. Thanks also to the New Hope Church for providing space for our learners to practice their English.