Pilot program aims to break language barriers in Shelby County

MEMPHIS, TENN. — Para obtener información sobre esta historia en español, desplácese a continuación.

Shelby County is home to more than 55,000 immigrants who speak over 68 different languages. It’s also home to more than 2,000 nonprofits offering vital services that improve the lives of residents.

That’s why Shelby County Government collaborated with World Relief Memphis to create Language Connection, a pilot program offering free translation services to county resources and 13 area non-profit organizations.

One of those organizations is the Connect Language Center, which helps newly-arrived migrants learn English.

“It’s very important because it empowers them to speak up for themselves,” said Language Connection Center Director Alyssa Bulow. “When someone can’t speak the language of a place that they’re in, they are unfortunately vulnerable to a lot of injustice that happens in society, and so by being able to speak up for themselves, they have their own voice. Also, it provides someone with dignity.”

The non-profit operates under World Relief Memphis, which connects migrants to critical resources, such as housing, jobs, and physical and mental health services.

Now, the groups are getting help understanding specific needs by using translators who can be reached with one phone call.

Bulow says the translators in the county’s Language Connection program provide clarity by giving better context and making her students feel more comfortable talking about sensitive topics.

“It has been amazing,” Bulow said. “They’re opening up more and they’re able to get their needs met more effectively. Just being able to verbally communicate just gives that power back to them and allows them to access the vital services that they need.”

While Bulow says they work with a wide range of languages, 78% of their students speak Spanish, a fact that played a major role in Shelby County creating the program this summer.

According to Mayor Harris’s office, since the pilot program launched in May, it’s received more than 550 calls, most from Spanish speakers.

“Shelby County is a metropolitan area that has over a million residents and we’ve seen steady growth year over year in our Latino population,” said Mayor Harris. “So we have a lot of people in Memphis, and Shelby County who are non-native speakers but still have to navigate our community, still have to go to work and take care of their family, and still needs the services in the Shelby County Government... We think it (Language Connection) helps folks to get the services that they need, it recognizes the diversity of our community and it makes sure that Shelby County is a community that is inclusive for all of our residents, including our non-native speakers. Translation services are actually relatively expensive, but we think they’re worth every dollar because the data that we’ve already collected around usage is pretty astonishing.”

As the Hispanic population grows in the Mid-South, other organizations are also working to provide critical, life-saving, information in Spanish.

This month, the National Weather Service Memphis started issuing social media alerts in English and Spanish, in hopes of reaching the 50,000 people in its four-state region who identify as Hispanic.

“Those people, we just haven’t tapped into yet,” said Samantha Brown, a meteorologist with NWS. “Everyone should be weather aware, and this kind of information, it could provide information for you and your family, when severe weather strikes.”

Not all risk graphics will be translated in Spanish, but the more significant events, like moderate and high-risk days will be.

The NWS is also now providing virtual school talks with a Spanish-speaking meteorologist and pre-recorded virtual Skywarn spotter classes in Spanish.

Some area school districts, like Memphis-Shelby County Schools, have also adopted the social media strategy, and Mayor Harris says Shelby County may soon follow.

For now, Shelby County commissioners are monitoring the progress of Language Connection. It’s only a pilot program right now but commissioners could include it in next year’s budget. Bulow hopes they do.

“I think it’s so important that we provide that service because how can we be accessible if we can’t make that language connection with someone?” said Bulow.

Here is the list of the 13 area non-profits that are using the Language Connection pilot program:

• Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR)

• Alliance Healthcare Services

• Catholic Charities of West Tennessee

• Community Legal Center

• Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center (GMFEC)

• HopeWorks

• Latino Memphis

• Mid-South Food Bank

• Porter-Leath

• The Works CDC

• United Housing

• United Way of the Mid-South

• World Relief Memphis/Connect Language Center

EL COMITÉ DE ORGANIZACIONES SIN FINES DE LUCRO DEL ALCALDE DEL CONDADO DE SHELBY, LEE HARRIS, AMPLÍA ELACCESO A SERVICIOS VITALES PARAAQUELLOS QUE ENFRENTAN BARRERAS DEL IDIOMA

Condado de Shelby, TN – Hoy, el Comité sin fines de lucro del alcalde del condado de Shelby, Lee Harris, anunció un nuevo programa piloto, llamado Language Connection, para romper las barreras del idioma entre los residentes del condado de Shelby y los proveedores de servicios sin fines de lucro en toda nuestra comunidad. Es la recomendación más reciente del Comité sin fines de lucro del alcalde Lee Harris, que se formó para identificar las barreras en la prestación de servicios y formular soluciones concretas a los problemas. A través del programa Language Connection, el gobierno del condado de Shelby colaboró con World Relief Memphis para identificar y brindar servicios de traducción gratuitos a 13 proveedores de servicios sin fines de lucro del área. Las organizaciones fueron seleccionadas por el Subcomité de Salud y Servicios Humanos del Comité sin fines de lucro en función de su alcance existente a personas que no hablan inglés con fluidez. El programa piloto comenzó este verano y está programado para durar seis meses.

La incorporación de los servicios de traducción se debe al uso del servicio de interpretación telefónica Language Line patrocinado por el gobierno del condado de Shelby. Más de 240 idiomas están disponibles con interpretación de audio en vivo. Cuando un hablante de inglés no fluido necesita acceso a los servicios, un miembro del personal simplemente marcará un número para conectar al cliente con su idioma preferido. El condado de Shelby tiene más de 55,000 inmigrantes que hablan más de 68 idiomas diferentes. También cuenta con más de 2000 organizaciones sin fines de lucro que ofrecen servicios vitales que mejoran la vida de los residentes. Las organizaciones sin fines de lucro que participan en el programa piloto Language Connection son:

• Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR)

• Alliance Healthcare Services

• Catholic Charities of West Tennessee

• Community Legal Center

• Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center (GMFEC)

• HopeWorks

• Latino Memphis

• Mid-South Food Bank

• Porter-Leath

• The Works CDC

• United Housing

• United Way of the Mid-South

• World Relief Memphis/Connect Language Center

Alcalde del condado de Shelby Lee Harris: “El condado de Shelby siempre ha recibido con orgullo a los inmigrantes. Estoy emocionado de que más proveedores de servicios tengan acceso a los servicios de traducción que necesitan para conectarse con los residentes a través de esta última innovación de nuestro Comité sin fines de lucro. Los inmigrantes son miembros valiosos de nuestra comunidad y debemos hacer todo lo posible para asegurarnos de que puedan prosperar plenamente en nuestro condado.”

Janet Lo, Gerente de Asociaciones Comunitarias, División de Servicios Comunitarios del Condado de Shelby: “Al crecer como hija de padres inmigrantes, recuerdo bien lo que es ver a tus padres luchar tratando de entender formas y sistemas complejos. Es un consuelo saber que este programa está eliminando una gran barrera que impide que las familias accedan a los servicios que podrían necesitar y ayuda a las organizaciones a llegar a una nueva audiencia.”

PJ Moore, Director Ejecutivo, World Relief Memphis: “En World Relief Memphis, nuestro objetivo es brindar servicios vitales, construir comunidades justas, y unir a las personas para relaciones mutuamente transformadoras. El programa Language Connection ha sido un recurso valioso para nuestra organización mientras buscamos cumplir nuestro propósito y está ayudando a hacer del condado de Shelby una comunidad más fuerte para todos sus residentes.”

Glenda Stark, LCSW en Alliance Healthcare Services: “Ser parte del programa Language Connection nos ha ayudado a mejorar nuestras relaciones con personas que no hablan inglés. Los intérpretes han demostrado ser muy profesionales y educados, y conectar con ellos ha sido fácil.”