By Hillary Buzaid With the cold weather upon us and the recent school cancellations due to extreme weather, I have been sure to ask clients if they have the proper winter attire when I see them. Fortunately, Taller de Jose has a few different ways that we can help clients get winter coats, so I…
DetailsBy Joan Stopka Some of the accompaniments that have impacted me the most are the trips I have taken to USCIS, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. We accompany individuals there for a variety of reasons, including interviews for those applying for residency or citizenship. I recently accompanied an elderly woman who was ready to…
DetailsGraciela visited Taller de José because she had just been laid off. There’s never a good time to lose one’s job, but right before the holidays is probably one of the worst times. By the time she came to Taller, Graciela had already found new temporary work, but she wasn’t going to be able to…
DetailsAcela was a friendly older woman referred to us by Esperanza Health Clinic, a local clinic in Little Village that provides quality bilingual, bicultural medical services to the community. When she arrived at Taller de Jose, she already knew where to go. “Cook County,” she said, “Last time they wouldn’t see me.” It was my…
DetailsThis Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about how grateful I am for the relationships I’ve formed with clients and all that they’ve taught me. One such client is Juana, who came to Taller de José looking for help as she applied for U-VISA immigration status, a special visa available to those who have been victims…
DetailsOn Tuesday, I was scheduled to assist a client with voting. The client has visual impairments that prevent her from seeing detail, and thus would be unable to read the ballot. The client had called and confirmed with the election board that she could bring someone to assist her, and as I found out on…
DetailsWhen a new client comes in to Taller de Jose for an initial intake, I first meet him or her in the waiting room. If there are multiple people in the waiting room, there is this brief moment of panic in which I frantically look around thinking, “Ok, now who exactly is my client?”. But…
DetailsYolanda is a shy young woman who came to Taller de José last week. She was referred by Mujeres Latinas en Acción, a local agency that serves victims of domestic violence and seeks to empower women in the community. Yolanda is soft spoken but self-assured. She credits Mujeres Latinas for helping her develop this self-assurance…
DetailsAs I near the completion of my first month volunteering at Taller de José, it is amazing to think of how many diverse cases I have faced with clients in such a short amount of time. This past month has shown me how the ministry of accompaniment impacts our clients and the way that we…
DetailsOn days when he does not have dialysis, Raul often stops by to see his compañera. He always greets us with a warm handshake and asks if his companera is around before slowly making his way up the stairs. A year ago, he was concerned that he would not be able to get treatment for…
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