by Anthony Aguinaldo he, him, his As someone who began working as a hospital chaplain in the middle of a global pandemic, I thought I could do anything. I had been present with people during some very difficult times and sat with loved ones as they dealt with grief and loss. Because I’d been interning…
by Mary LaVigne Where to begin. That seems to be ringing through my head as I try to find the words to express all that this past year has been. Serving at Taller de José has been a gift and a privilege. I had heard the word accompaniment before starting at Taller de Jose, but I didn’t really understand the depth of…
Author – Sofia Galan Thank you Taller! I am extremely grateful to Taller de José for providing me with the best internship experience and introduction to the field of social work. Through Taller I have had the opportunity to service the community, empower, advocate and make a difference in the lives of my clients every day.…
By Brenda Rodriguez Flores I was born into being a Compañera; I just did not know it at the time. When I was younger my parents primarily spoke Spanish. They both immigrated to the United States for a better life, The American Dream. I remember from a small age my parents would ask me to…
By Julia Sykes (she/her/hers) While performing my usual routine upon arrival to office of checking messages the other day, I was heartened by the kindest Mother’s Day message from one of my clients – she prefaced by saying she was not sure whether I was a mother or not, but that she hoped I had a beautiful and…
Written by Alecx They/Them/Theirs When I began my year of service at the end of August, I knew it wouldn’t all be easy and as a Dominican, inspired by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, I expected “the work to be great and difficult.” In fact, it has been. This year has challenged me in ways I never expected and I’ve faced trials, unlike…
by Sofia Galan The Gift of Giving I have had the privilege of being placed at Taller de José for my social work field experience this semester. Within these last three months, I have had the opportunity to service the community in more ways than I could have imagined. During the 1st semester of the Master’s…
by Carolina Delgadillo I have been at Taller de José for several months already and I am enjoying every moment. I love the chance to be able to provide guidance to my clients. Taller has showed me all the wonders it is to take on this mission of accompaniment. I have dealt with many wonderful…
by Mary LaVigne Since I began my time at Taller de José in August 2020, I have found myself “waiting” a lot. Waiting to go into the office for the first time, to meet co-workers, to meet clients. I have also been waiting to hear back on different client cases as hold times and responses are often…
By Julia Sykes In October, one of my first tasks with Taller de José involved going through a list of clients who had received assistance from Compañerx(s) through the process of citizenship over the last few years. I was tasked to call and ask if they knew where they would be voting in the upcoming election. Though apprehensive to begin my internship with cold calls, I was quickly comforted by…
