Simon Smerconish ’19: Behind the fortified stone exterior on Marshall Street, tucked away behind the unassuming facade of an old bank, lies both a place of refuge and hope for the impoverished families of the Norristown area. La Accion Comunal Latinoamericana de Montgomery County or as Episcopal students know it, ACLAMO, coordinates and provides the surrounding community with a wide-range of vital services ranging from afterschool programs to immigration consultations and adult literacy classes. But the good works of ACLAMO extend far beyond Norristown, all the way to the Episcopal campus in Newtown Square where it rewards student volunteers willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Volunteering is not a one way street; ACLAMO gives back to Episcopal too. It not only provides volunteers an opportunity to practice their Spanish, but also allows them to gain perspective as students who come from a wealthy school and often sheltered background.
Since its conception in 1977, ACLAMO has grown immensely with the help of generous donations and the volunteer work of individuals as well as partner schools such as Episcopal. For many years now, Episcopal has attempted to help ACLAMO in fulfilling its mission of “providing education programs, social services and health access to Latino and other low income residents by empowering them to succeed and become productive members of society.”
Nellie Arevalo, the Executive Director of ACLAMO, commented on Episcopal’s influence on ALCAMO members. She said that when EA students interact with students at ACLAMO, they are saying, “you care about them…[that] I see you, I am part of you.” Arevalo also reminded us of the immediate necessity of showing and being active in supporting the Latino community given that today there exists, in her words, “so much hate against Latinos, against immigrants… against people who have life, [a] hard life.” Ashani Williams ’18, an ACLAMO volunteer, highlighted the role of Episcopal Student in the lives of those at ACLAMO in explaining, “I think EA students are a great role model for the kids at ACLAMO. In any situation, younger kids look up to the older students and ACLAMO is no exception. Therefore, by encouraging the students to do their homework and ask for help EA has, hopefully, impacted their lives tremendously.”
As much as Episcopal’s efforts and ideas can and do lend aid to ACLAMO’s initiative, it would be disingenuous to assert that the transfer of knowledge through ACLAMO is strictly one way. By volunteering at ACLAMO Episcopal students get a unique learning experience in speaking Spanish. As Ally Marino ’18, a student who volunteered for ACLAMO through Episcopal’s wellness program, comments, “I’ve noticed how to really apply Spanish in everyday life. it really has helped me understand my Spanish experience and what I need to do to improve my ability.” It is easy to see how ACLAMO has provided Episcopal students with an experience they could not get on the Episcopal campus. Praneeth Allah ‘19 notes, “…not only do I help them, but they also help me. Through my interactions with the children at Aclamo, I have enhanced my daily Spanish speaking ability.”
Besides the academic opportunity of improving spanish skills, Episcopal Students learn valuable life lessons by being exposed to students living in a township that has a poverty rate of 23.2%, according to Data USA. Williams said, “ They [ALCAMO students] have taught me to be caring. Not only are the kids eager to learn, but they are always willing to help a friend or classmate when they are struggling with a problem or having a hard time pronouncing a word. They do this, even when they have the opportunity to play, because they are so kind hearted.” Thus, it is evident that Episcopal Students, by watching those at ALCAMO, are learning how others are pushing past hardships and still taking advantage of opportunity and living lives of compassion. Sandy Warchol ‘18, an ACLAMO volunteer, echoes this sentiment in saying, “I learned how much the kids appreciated the help I was willing to offer. They are so eager to learn more about the world and they really do take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.” She continues, “Their attitudes inspired me to do that in my life. We often get caught up in the rush of life and forget to stop and realize we have so much more to learn about everything.”
We urge students to take advantage of service opportunities like ACLAMO to not only give back to the community, but also to learn volumes in return.