By Mario Martinez —
The plight of anyone who has ever emigrated to The United States is one of constant pressure to assimilate to American culture, regardless of their religious, ethnic, or educational backgrounds. Though it is the American dream to establish a business, buy iPods, and to live well, the road to success for immigrants has many social barriers that impede immediate fruition. However, with patience, compassion and selflessness, we can help those within our community achieve a better well-being by simply lending a helping hand to organizations such as the Maria Luisa de Moreno International Foundation (MLMIF).
Founded 12 years ago in Colombia, the MLMIF is dedicated to improve immigrant communities, regardless of their origin, through social services that help them excel in countries throughout the Americas. The MLMIF provides programs in underdeveloped neighborhoods that promote a better quality of life, through the sponsorship of education. “Knowledge Makes the Difference” is their motto.
Some of the courses MLMIF offers help improve language skills, computer skills, understanding civil rights, and promote family values. The foundation also provides information on government and non-profit organizations that may help in affording higher education.
By catering to disadvantaged minorities in the community, one helps improve their livelihood, mitigate their arduous assimilation and assist in grooming them into sterling citizens. Through social work, one could make an impact in the sustenance of their neighbor and can create a culture of helping each other. This is a goal that NJCU alumni Juliana Marin hopes to achieve through her work at MLMIF, here in Hudson County.
Juliana has been involved with MLMIF for over three years with the ambition of making people better for society.
“I think education is most important for these people.”
Like Maria Luisa de Moreno, Juliana understands that people who live in immigrant communities lack many basic communication skills that hinder them from being effective in society. She now has pledges to the community by volunteering her knowledge at MLMIF funded courses that teach how to read and write in English; provide introductory computer courses; and help assist in finding ways to afford higher education.
Just as important is tutoring for children whose parents may lack the language skills or background to help assist them in their school assignments.
Her servitude to the community undoubtedly has changed the lives of many looking to become one with society but Juliana admits that she has also changed from her experiences in social work.
“You learn to appreciate everything that you have. Some of these people have nothing at all, but what they lack the most is to have someone to show them that they can also do it. A role model to follow.”
Juliana’s first hand experiences with MLMIF have given perspective in her own life, in seeing that many of those around us do not possess many of the basic skills that we often take for granted.
By educating our neighbors with simple social skills, such as in language, how to play an instrument, how to send an email; or tutoring our children, we are advancing our communities to be more productive for themselves and the rest of the world.
As the old saying goes: “Give a man a fish and he will be fed for a moment. Teach him how to fish and he always be fed.”
For more information on the Maria Luisa de Moreno International Foundation or to become involved in social work, contact Juliana at:
Maria Luisa de Moreno
International Foundation
6325 Kennedy Blvd.
North Bergen NJ 07047
Phone numbers: (201) 758 4374 – (551) 6970526
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.mlmif.org/Union City
