IN THIS ISSUE: Amy's Ramblings A Note From John Giving Thanks Education Updates Legal Updates Social Services Updates Tip of the Month Volunteer Spotlight November's Vignette Bits and Pieces HOGAR STAFF: John Odenwelder Director john@hogarimmigrantservices.org Education Services: Amy White Group Manager amy@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x235 Kristen Gasimov Manager/Office Manager kristen@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x249 Katie Mathews Manager katie@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x243 Erin Maradiegue Manager erin@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x251 Sheila Sullivan Manager sheila@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x238 Danielle Tillilie Manager danielle@hogarimmigrantservices.org, x239 Legal Services: Michelle Sardone Group Manager michelle@hogarimmigrantservices.org Cindy Brown Paralegal cindy@hogarimmigrantservices.org Nancy Carbajal Receptionist nancy@hogarimmigrantservices.org Maria Cutipa Intake Coordinator maria@hogarimmigrantservices.org Christie Turner-Herbas Staff Attorney christie@hogarimmigrantservices.org Enrique Vargas Paralegal enrique@hogarimmigrantservices.org Social Services Dawn Dumas Manager dawn@hogarimmigrantservices.org (703) 443-2481 Angie Marchetto Intake Coordinator angie@hogarimmigrantservices.org (703) 443-2481 Hogar Immigrant Services 6201 Leesburg Pike Suite 307 Falls Church, Va 22044 T: (703) 534-9805 F: (703) 534-9809 www.hogarimmigrantservices.org If you would like to have this newsletter sent to a different email address or if you would like to unsubscribe from the mailing list, please email erin@hogarimmigrantservices.org.

Amy's Ramblings Thanksgiving. A word that brings to mind delicious turkey, scrumptious stuffing, mouth-watering mashed potatoes and if you’re from Ohio, it can also include Pretzel Salad (it really is much better than it sounds.) Aside from the eating extravaganza likely to occur, it gives us a chance to reflect on all of the things for which we are thankful. Hogar is thankful for its dedicated volunteers, supportive donors, partner organizations and our clients. On a personal level, I am thankful for my family, friends and the roof over my head. Many families this holiday season are finding themselves without these basic comforts. Every year Hogar conducts a toy drive – this year, however, we would like to request gift cards. While it is a great joy to watch a child open a nicely wrapped present, we want to make sure these children have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear. We are thankful for our newest Hogar staff attorney, Chelsy Weber, who hails from Montana and comes to us after volunteering with one of our partners, Just Neighbors. Let’s also give thanks for the mother/son volunteer duo that help out at Naturalization Workshops! Read about Bessie and Maurico below in this month’s Volunteer Spotlight. The Western Regional Office shares a heart-warming story about Sarah and her family demonstrating how both volunteers and donors have the ability to greatly impact people’s lives. Thanksgiving. A time for all of us at Hogar to give thanks for you and the work you’re doing for immigrants in northern Virginia. Abrazos, Amy White Group Manager, Education Services A Note From John HOGAR HAS A NEW WEBSITE! We are proud to introduce our new website— www.hogarimmigrantservices.org . In addition to being easier to find on the Web, the new site provides greater details about the many services we offer, as well staff bios and contact information. There are also easy links if you’re looking to volunteer, to donate or to learn more about the complex immigration process. As a result of the new website, each Hogar team member has a new e-mail. While the old CCDA e-mails will continue to function, you can also contact anyone at Hogar by sending an e-mail to that person’s first name @hogarimmigrantservices.org. So, for example, Amy’s new e-mail is amy@hogarimmigrantservices.org . Please make these changes to your address book and make sure your browser will accept messages from our new domain. Giving Thanks Thanks To Our November Donors! We would like to express our gratitude to the following companies and individuals for their generous contributions to Hogar this month: Lorton Stone M.E. Flow Builders Blinds & Designs Employees from the DC office of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) KIHOMAC, Inc. If you or your company would like to make a donation to help Hogar’s deserving clients this holiday season, please e-mail John Odenwelder at john@hogarimmigrantservices.org. Education Updates Spring 2010 Classes Are Coming Soon! Check out our schedule for this spring's English classes. We have a variety of locations and schedules, so find one that is right for you! For more information, please call the Education Services Department at 703-534-9805 x 222. Annandale High School 4700 Medford Dr., Annandale, VA, 22003 Registration: Monday and Wednesday, January 11 and 13, 7 - 9 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Monday and Wednesday, 7 – 9 pm *Hogar’s Falls Church Office* 6201 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22044 Registration: Tuesday and Wednesday, December 29 and 30 Monday and Tuesday, January 4 and 5, 10 am – 12 pm (morning class), 6 – 8 pm for (evening class) Cost: $100 Class schedule: Monday – Thursday, 9 – 10:30 am, 6 – 7:30 pm, 7:30 – 9:00 pm St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church 3305 Glen Carlyn Rd., Falls Church, VA 22041 Registration: Saturday, January 30, 10 am - 12 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Saturday, 10 am - 12 pm St. Bernadette Catholic Church 7600 Old Keene Mill Rd., Springfield, VA 22152 Registration: Saturday, February 6, 10 am - 12 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Saturday, 10 am - 12 pm St. Joseph Catholic Church 750 Peachtree St., Herndon, VA 20170 Registration: Wednesday and Thursday, January 6 and 7, 7 - 9 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Wednesday and Thursday, 7 - 9 pm St. Leo the Great Catholic Church 3700 Old Lee Hwy., Fairfax, VA 22030 Registration: Saturday, January 9, 10 am - 12 pm Cost: $40 Class Schedule: Saturday, 10 am - 12 pm St. Mark Catholic Church 9970 Vale Rd., Vienna, VA 22181 Registration: TBD Class schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 8 - 9:30 pm *Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church* 46833 Harry Byrd Hwy., Sterling, VA 20164 Registration: Tuesday and Thursday, January 19 and 21, 7:30 - 9 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 8 - 9:30 pm All Saints Catholic Church- Sundays 9300 Stonewall Rd., Manassas, VA 20110 Registration: Sunday, January 10, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Cost: $40 Class Schedule: Sunday, 11:30 am - 1:20 pm All Saints Catholic Church- Tuesdays and Thursdays 9300 Stonewall Rd., Manassas, VA 20110 Registration: Tuesday and Thursday, January 12 and 14, 7 - 9 pm Cost: $50 Class Schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 7 - 9 pm Holy Family Catholic Church 14160 Ferndale Rd., Dale City, VA 22193 Registration: Sunday, January 14, 1 - 4 pm Cost: $40 Class schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 7 - 8:30 pm Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church 13750 Marys Way, Woodbridge, VA 22191 Registration: Tuesday and Thursday, February 2 and 4, 7 - 9 pm Cost: $60 Class schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 7 - 9 pm *Citizenship Classes are available at this location.* Legal Updates Welcome New Staff Attorney Chelsy Weber The Legal team is thrilled to announce the arrival of our new Staff Attorney, Chelsy Weber. Chelsy comes to Hogar after several months of volunteering at Just Neighbors, another non-profit organization providing immigration legal services here in Falls Church. Prior to her work at Just Neighbors, Chelsy practiced white-collar criminal defense at the DC firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Chelsy is originally from northwestern Montana and attended law school at the University of Colorado. As an undergraduate at George Washington University, Chelsy did volunteer work with the DC-area immigrant community, played alto saxophone in the university Latin Jazz band, and studied abroad in Spain. Chelsy now lives in Woodbridge with her husband and her two dogs and enjoys hiking in her free time. Please join us in welcoming Chelsy to the Hogar team! Social Services Updates The Western Regional Office Provides Winter Wear For Area Residents The office was very blessed to receive an unexpected donation of adult coats from a Sterling High School. With the help of Loudoun Cares, we put the word out and quickly distributed them to very deserving individuals. The RSVP program in Arlington donated 50 knit hats for children. The WRO then received a private donation of 50 pairs of gloves for kids. We combined these donations and 50 deserving kids each received a set. Tip of the Month Get Your Students Talking With Celebrity Cards If you teach a large class, you may find it difficult to encourage all of your students to talk. While role plays and group work can alleviate this problem, you may want to break from tradition and add a game to your lesson plan. Give your students the opportunity to chatter away with this “Celebrity Cards” activity! Using index cards or scraps of paper, write down the names of celebrities and what they do (examples include “Shakira, singer,” “Elvis, rock star,” and “Barack Obama, President of the United States”). Write down each identity twice. Give each student one card. Then, ask all of them to walk around the room and act out their given roles. Using only English, they must find the other person in their class who is the same celebrity. The winner is the pair that finds each other first. However, you may play the game until each member of the pair finds the other. This game is great because you can adapt the game to fit all levels and all subject matters. For beginners, you can switch from “celebrities” to “types of jobs” or to another set of new vocabulary words you wish to teach. Monitor their use of language and remind your students that only English is allowed! Volunteer Spotlight Meet Bessie And Maurico: A Mother And Son Volunteer Team If you have had your passport-sized picture taken at one of Hogar’s recent Naturalization Workshops, it is likely that your photographer was a pleasant young man named Maurico Walker. Maurico is our star camera man and the 17-year-old son of Ms. Bessie Rivers, a 10-year employee of Catholic Charities USA. Bessie and Maurico have been volunteering at Naturalization Workshops for over a year. They bring a lot of enthusiasm and smiles to our effort. In Bessie’s words, “I always like meeting people, especially people from different cultures.” Bessie has a great way with others. This is an attribute that is essential in her work as the receptionist at the CCUSA office in Alexandria. Although Bessie has been living in D.C. for the last 43 years she is a native of South Carolina and is the epitome of Southern warmth and hospitality – even with small hints of an accent! Bessie and Maurico both volunteer at another non-profit called Music for Life. This agency just gave its fifth award to an independent gospel artist in recognition of the importance of such musical expression. Apart from this, the organization gives educational scholarships and sponsors children in Africa. Maurico’s high school in D.C. requires him to complete 100 hours of service in his community before graduation, and he is well on his way. Hogar is very impressed by this mother/son duo. Thank you Bessie and Maurico for making a difference in your community! We wish you all the best in your endeavors and look forward to working with you at workshops to come! November's Vignette A Family Gets Through The Holidays With Help From Friends And The WRO The Western Regional Office continues to be blessed by many individuals during this thankful season. One particular family definitely touched our hearts. One day we received a call from Debbie, who was seeking assistance for her friend Sarah. Two weeks earlier, during the course of a normal conversation, Debbie asked Sarah about her plans for Thanksgiving. It was not until this conversation that Debbie had any idea that one of her friends may need help. Sarah explained that her hours at work had been cut back and she was struggling to support her three young children on her own, after her husband left. Debbie immediately brought Sarah down to the Family Services Department of Social Services in Loudoun County. While Sarah qualified for the Christmas Community Holiday Coalition program , she had missed the deadline for the Thanksgiving program. Debbie decided to contact our office to see if we could help her friend. Luckily, the Western Regional Office was fortunate to have a donor that, only days before, had expressed a desire to “adopt a family” for Thanksgiving. This donor wanted to provide a family with all the necessary items for a proper Thanksgiving dinner. It is a story like this that truly shows us that the Lord provides! We are thankful to Debbie for caring for her friend. We are thankful to the anonymous donor for giving to a deserving family. We are also so thankful for Sarah and her family. Bits and Pieces Furniture Is Needed For The Transitional Housing Program St. Margaret of Cortona Transitional Residences for Homeless Families is seeking a limited number of the following items: kitchen tables; couches free of stains or tears; new or clean and gently used Twin mattresses; Twin bed frames; vacuum cleaners; cribs that meet current safety standards and; warm blankets, quilts and comforters. To arrange a weekday drop off or a Tuesday or Thursday evening drop off please telephone 703.910.4845. photo courtesy of: http://www.greenhome.com/products/bedding/beds/104819 _______________________________ CAN Offers Career Counseling And Resume Advice Christians are Networking (CAN) is a group of job-seekers who network with professionals who offer free career counseling, advice on resumes and practice interviews. Whether you're looking for your first job or an executive position, all are welcome. Bring a resume, even if it's a work in progress. Join us every Thursday evening, from 7– 9 pm at the St. Martin De Porres Senior Center (4650 Taney Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304). For more details, contact Elizabeth Lucas at 703-683-7704 or elizabeth22305@verizon.net or Bill Hummel at 703-830-5467 or hummel830@cox.net.