Center for Catholic Education at UD

"La familia no es solo una cosa importante. Es todo."

On September 18th, ECHO,  Immaculate Conception School, and Families Forward, held a “Hispanic Outreach Night” for families at Immaculate Conception School in Dayton. Other volunteers including PULSE, UD Marianist Leadership Scholars, and ECHO Peacemakers, brought a special sense of community and hospitality to the evening. This night provided time for family engagement and community involvement, while fostering conversation about everyday life of Hispanic students at Immaculate Conception School. ECHO Family Advocate, Michelle Sherman, who organized this event, was present to support families in learning how to meet their basic needs and connect them with local community services.

The night opened in prayer with Fr. Satish and dinner was provided by House of Bread. Following dinner was a presentation for parents on the daily ins and outs for their children as students at Immaculate Conception. Many of these families speak very little or no English and this night provided them an opportunity to more fully understand, through a presentation done in Spanish, all that they need to know! The information included everything from the daily school schedule, school uniform guidelines, gym uniform guidelines, and after school opportunities for the students. Games and coloring were provided for children during the presentation in order for the parents to have time to take in all the information and ask questions. Additionally, there was an opportunity for families to apply for the Giving Angels program Christmas Outreach and the Backpack Food program.

Claire Evans, a University of Dayton Marianist Leader Scholar, shared her experience from the night: “Most families were sitting together, but there was one woman by herself in the very back, so I walked over to her to offer any help I could in Spanish. It turns out, she was confused by the form she was filling out, so I walked her through the different parts of the form and got to know her a little bit. The mother was from Honduras and has four kids, two of which were young enough to participate in the Christmas gift program. It was amazing that she trusted me to share some of her story and I am really happy I could help.”

Thirty-five families attended this event, totaling ninety-five people! Fifteen volunteers took time to help support and engage families and five of these volunteers were bilingual. By the end of the night, sixty-five children were enrolled in the Giving Angels program and twenty-nine children were enrolled in the Backpack Food program. 

Claire Riggan, ECHO PULSE volunteer, says of the experience, “As I was driving home, I was reflecting on the event and how great these families truly are. My heart was full. Having the collaborative effort from MLS, PULSE, and Peacemakers put forth to be a resource and help these families throughout the night was amazing. Stories were shared and memories were made! To me, this is the work of God and what He asks of us. The kids loved playing BINGO and coloring! It was a fruitful experience and I look forward to many more events like this!”

Written by Emma Grace Geckle.

Edited by Barb Miller.