“I had always thought of helping as one person having all the answers, but thanks to Taller I have learned a new and better way of helping. By accompanying, it gets rid of the hierarchy… I was never above the client; we were at the same level.”
“We opened the doors to Taller de José with a general concept of “a ministry of accompaniment,” but our hearts remained full of questions of how this ministry might best serve the Little Village community. When the first opportunity arose to accompany someone outside the four walls of our office—someone who was capable and smart but lacked confidence and specific knowledge—we said yes and have not looked back. That first accompaniment has turned into thousands, and each and every day there are Compañeras all over Chicago walking with their clients, helping them to access resources.”
“Last week I had a client come in with a very simple ask- to help activate her debit card. We called the number listed on the debit card and followed the prompts. Within 2 minutes we had the card activated. Even though there were options to proceed in Spanish she was so grateful to have someone take the time to call with her. She confessed that she does not have family to help her and was moved to tears when recounting her feelings of loneliness. When I assured her that the staff here at Taller de Jose are with her I could sense her gratitude. Yes, we were able to set up her card but more importantly we did it together, dispelling the belief that she is alone.“
“I enjoy running, but running a marathon is such a huge undertaking. There are few organizations that I would run a full marathon for, but the mission and important work that Taller de José does is something that I believe is worth challenging myself in this way to help support.”
“I understand first-hand the need for Taller de José’s accompaniment in our community. Growing up in Little Village as the son of Mexican immigrants, any time they needed to go somewhere that English was required, they took me along with them to help translate. Often this meant I had to miss school to go with them. Because Taller de José accompanies individuals and can serve this role, it means that parents no longer have to rely on their children in that way. Taller de José’s services help ensure that those children don’t miss school, and parents are able to shield their children from sensitive issues that need to be addressed. I support Taller de José to make sure that those in our community have access to these important services.”
