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By Betzy Morataya, Social Work Intern Compañera When I first arrived at Taller de José, I was extremely nervous about…

By Daisy Gomez Meza, Social Work Intern Compañera Accompaniments, although the norm here at Taller de José, I would argue…

By Grasiela Victor, Social Work Intern Compañera When I first applied to Taller de José for an internship, I was…

By Kari Carmody, Amate House Fellow Compañera  Everyday the Taller de José staff tries to eat lunch together at the…

By Joe Alex Vazquez, Social Work Intern Compañero I remember the first day I came to Taller de José. I…

As a social work intern specializing in macro practice and development work, I was unsure how I would experience accompaniment…

There is a famous quote by Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz that states “no estudio par saber más, sino…

This is the last year of my master’s program in Social Work. I plan on continuing my studies to pursue…

My parents are immigrants from Mexico. It has been my goal as a first-generation Mexican American to achieve all the…

By Claire Whalen (She/Her/Hers) I love cloudless days. Not only is there something extraordinarily beautiful about seeing the bright blue…

by Angie Solano I will forever be grateful to Taller de José for the opportunity and experiences I have gained. Back…

by Anthony Aguinaldo he, him, his As someone who began working as a hospital chaplain in the middle of a…

By Brenda Rodriguez Flores I was born into being a Compañera; I just did not know it at the time.…

By Julia Sykes (she/her/hers)  While performing my usual routine upon arrival to office of checking messages the other day, I was…

Written by Alecx They/Them/Theirs When I began my year of service at the end of August, I knew it wouldn’t…

by Sofia Galan The Gift of Giving I have had the privilege of being placed at Taller de José for my…

by Mary LaVigne Since I began my time at Taller de José in August 2020, I have found myself “waiting” a lot.…

By Julia Sykes  In October, one of my first tasks with Taller de José involved going through a list of clients who had received…

By Rosie Cisneros In January of 2020, before the announcement of the stay-at-home order, I was able to take a…

By Karina Gonzalez When I first started my internship at Taller de José, I felt concerned about how the agency…

By Carolina Delgadillo It has been a great past couple of months. When I was applying for internships, I was…

by Estefany Ojeda I started my work as a Compañera at Taller de José in September 2020. As a Compañera…

By Hugh Burke When I take a look at my first few months at Taller de José, a few things…

by Brenda Rodriguez It feels really nice to be back at the office. I get to see some of my…

by Mary LaVigne In reflecting on my first months here at Taller de José, I have learned so much about…

by Alecx Hernandez This year I did not expect to be in Chicago because I did not believe there was…

by Maria Post “I have never appreciated the incarnate nature of God more.”  Someone recently shared this reflection at a…

Taller de José is currently hiring for the Mission Advancement Coordinator Position. Please see the posting below for full information.

By Nico According to the Latino Policy Forum, coronavirus tests taken by Latinos have come up positive nearly 46% of…

By Joan Stopka Wednesday, March 11, 2020 was a relatively busy day for me. I had spent the majority of…

Última actualización: 15 Abril 2020 Guía de recursos de Latinos Progresando Guía de recursos del ICIRR para inmigrantes en Illinois…

By Brenda Rodriguez At times like these, the memory of certain clients can fill my mind and re-kindle my heart.…

By Eli Beller The journey is the destination.  The end game not necessarily as vital or meaningful as the steps…

By Greg Evers As I reflect on my time here at Taller de José I think of the various clients…

By Maria Orozco Once, while at a retreat, I heard the best analogy about the significance of having communities. That…

By Greg Evers A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to participate in a Spanish immersion program in…

By Vanessa Camacho After my first week at Taller de José, I told my friends that our accompaniment model felt…

By: Sara A. Tejeda As a Mexican immigrant, advocating for the Latino and migrant community has always been a part…

By Eli We sit next to each other on the bus, returning from the 555 West Harrison courthouse.  The weather…

By Vicenta V There is joy in knowing that I am part of an incredible mission and that alongside me…

By Nico I’ve been in Chicago for about two months, which feels like enough time to see the ways I…

 By: Brenda R I recently celebrated three years at Taller De José! Time does fly, especially when you’re accompanying, learning,…

After serving two years as our Office Administrator, Leslie Carranza moved into a role of Compañera this summer, offering accompaniment…

By Matt M. It was cancer: breast cancer, to be specific. This is the same cancer that killed my grandmother,…

By Maggie S. In my life I have always been taught to use my abilities for good. I fundamentally believe…

By: Daniel D I have only been a Compañero at Taller de Jose for six weeks, yet I have had…

By Tim Gale Here at Taller we are asked to hold a lot in our hands; the sticky palms of…

By Julian Zuzarte As I reflect on my close to 10 months of working at Taller de José, I am…

By Rebecca Being a compañera at Taller de Jose has allowed me to explore various levels of service to our…

By: Angeles There’s rarely ever a one-step solution. The first step in finding a solution becomes one of many. For…

By: Joan After retiring from high school teaching for 38 years, I wanted to participate in a new adventure. This…

By Sr. Betty Seems a bit early in the year to get an invite for graduation, but this is a…

By: Brenda As one year ends and another begins, I took this time to reflect on the past year and…

After years of hard work we are thrilled to announce the publication of the first ever study on the Taller…

By: Anne Many of our clients have lived in Chicago for years. They know about many social services that are…

By Rebecca As I am beginning my own journey as a Compañer@ at Taller de Jose, I am amazed at…

By Angles A few weeks into beginning my internship at Taller de José, a client came in for a walk-in…

By Tim On my second day at Taller de José I was presented with the opportunity to shadow a Compañero…

By: Christina It is neither a mystery nor a tale, it is reality. Life stories composed of oppressive systems that…

By Morgan When I first began as a compañer@ at Taller de José as a social work student I found…

Something I have asked myself recently is, “What is left after a client’s appointment with a compañer@ at Taller de…

This past year Taller de José partnered with the Loyola University Center for Experiential Learning to conduct community research in…

With only a couple of months remaining in my JVC year, I have noticed myself becoming more and more nostalgic…

By Sarah Johnson One of my favorite aspects of accompaniment is the opportunity to see the impact that walking with…

By Bianca “Citizenship is both a system of privilege and a source of social identity” (Gee, Morey, Ro, & Takeuchi,…

By: Brenda It is easy to become overwhelmed with paperwork, especially when you do not know what the first step…

By Sr. Betty Being a nun, I have found myself in various service opportunities. From inner city youth to recent…

By Leslie D. Offsite Accompaniment is one of the various services which Taller de Jose offers. Accompaniment can be described…

By Patty When I first saw the work Taller de José did, I was intrigued. Reading the blogs of compañeras…

By Bianca “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your…

By Sarah “Sarah, your 10am appointment is here.” Downstairs in the waiting room I met Sandra*, a new client to…

By Joan “May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant…

By: Damaris This summer has been full of lifelong learning experiences. Working at Taller de José I gained a lot…

By: Adam “It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only…

By: Alec As I wrap up my Jesuit Volunteer year of service at Taller de José, it is natural for…

By: Brenda Transitioning from being the office manager to a compañera has been an interesting experience. I think that deep…

  Working at Taller de José I have met wonderful people and have seen a variety of cases. In my…

By Hillary Although I am wrapping up my time with Taller de Jose after almost three years, I am still…

By Mitchell Roemer Before I started working at Taller de José I knew the Daley Center as that big black…

By Maria I recently had a passing conversation with someone in which he asked if Taller de José might be…

By Paola Johnson It has been over six months since I first started interning at Taller de José and living…

By: Korina Compañeras@s never truly know why an individual is coming to our doors, and many times it isn’t until…

By: Sr. Betty Sr. Betty met Mr. Tom on the corner of Albany and Cermack. They were going downtown to…

By Joan Prior to volunteering at Taller de José in August, 2010, I had taught Spanish, Italian and Etymology for…

By: Becky  When I first moved to Chicago several months ago, I never imagined that I would find such a…

By Brenda Rodriguez Driving down the 24th Boulevard is something that I would do frequently. Never would I have imagined…

By Hillary       As I make my plans to be with my family for the holidays, I can’t…

By Paola Being at Taller de José for almost 3 months now, I am proud to be an intern at…

By Korina Compañeras and compañeros may not always get to work with the same individual. However, every person that walks…

By: Linda We all know that job searching can be tough, but my work with clients at Taller de José…

By Alec Gubics As I begin my work at Taller de José, I have been re-reading a book called the…

On September 8, 2016, Taller de José celebrated it’s “golden birthday,” celebrating 8 years of the ministry of accompaniment on…

By Brenda Morales What a wonderful way to end my internship this summer at Taller De Jose; I accompanied Norma…

By Ali McCandless, Jesuit Volunteer But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on…

Marco* originally came to Taller de José because he had received notices from Social Security that he was having difficulty…

By Hillary Buzaid It was a beautiful Monday morning, and I was going to meet my client Rosa* for an…

By Megan Monahan (pictured at left accompanying a client) “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting…

By Maria Post  Laura is a survivor. She survived the dangerous trip to the United States from Mexico, seeking opportunity…

By Roberto Martinez, Amate House Volunteer By many standards, I’m very new to Chicago. I’ve spent 8 months here so…

By Sr. Sheila O’Brien Often I would drive by a church of another domination on my way to work, and…

By Esther Uriostegui In addition to its primarily mission of connecting individuals to resources via accompaniment, Taller de José also…

The following video was created in 2015 to celebrate the ministry of accompaniment. Watch to learn more about the mission…

Julia may win the award for having come the farthest distance to visit Taller de José; she currently lives in…

Por Kimberly Lopez, MSW Intern Taller de José es un lugar que a pesar de que tiene como meta servir…

By Roberto Martinez, Amate House Volunteer Roberto shared this reflection as part of the Amate House Little Village’s “Las Posadas”…

By Ali McCandless, Jesuit Volunteer I have to admit, I’ve never been good with transitions… Although I was secure in…

By Roberto Martinez, Amate House Volunteer I started my role as a compañero at Taller de José two months ago,…

Accompaniment can take many different forms at Taller de José. Sometimes it means making phone calls, filling out forms, or…

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic violence affects people in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion,…

By Sr. Sheila O’Brien How inspiring last week was to hear Pope Francis repeatedly encourage us to minister to the…

I recently had the pleasure of accompanying a client through the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen. A partner agency…

By Joan Stopka Luisa came into our office seeking the repayment of an outstanding substantial debt. She had not been…

By Hillary Buzaid From my side of the desk, I sit facing another individual, or maybe a couple, a parent…

One afternoon, while helping out at Taller de Jose’s front desk, I answered a phone call from one of our…

By Laura Camarata, summer intern With school out and summer in full swing, the number of kids we see come…

Recently, Taller de José received a call from a partner agency, asking if we could accompany an individual from the…

By Katie Poplawski When Leticia walked into Taller, she was frantic.  Her son, she explained, was turning 18 the following…

By Laurie LaMarca Juana wandered into Taller de Jose after hearing about our services from a friend of her church.…

By Marbella Barajas During my internship at Taller de José, one of the accompaniments that impacted me the most was…

Aida Lopez is a rising senior at Dominican University. She is double majoring in Mathematics and Business Management. Through a…

By Lili Costa I recently accompanied a client, Maria, who was unfortunately involved in a car accident with a truck…

By Sr. Theresa Gleeson, BVM Several years ago Eloisa was married and had two small children, but the relationship ended…

Marisol originally came to Taller de José almost 4 years ago, seeking assistance with several legal matters. When she first…

By Hillary Buzaid With the cold weather upon us and the recent school cancellations due to extreme weather, I have…

By Joan Stopka Some of the accompaniments that have impacted me the most are the trips I have taken to…

Graciela visited Taller de José because she had just been laid off. There’s never a good time to lose one’s…

Acela was a friendly older woman referred to us by Esperanza Health Clinic, a local clinic in Little Village that…

This Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about how grateful I am for the relationships I’ve formed with clients and all…

On Tuesday, I was scheduled to assist a client with voting. The client has visual impairments that prevent her from…

When a new client comes in to Taller de Jose for an initial intake, I first meet him or her…

Yolanda is a shy young woman who came to Taller de José last week. She was referred by Mujeres Latinas…

As I near the completion of my first month volunteering at Taller de José, it is amazing to think of…

On days when he does not have dialysis, Raul often stops by to see his compañera. He always greets us…

On June 24th, Taller de José partnered with Catholic Charities and A Night Out to provide a night of fun…

In some cases, clients come to Taller for a single visit, receive the support and referrals they need, and do…

Like many of Taller de José’s clients, Fortino was referred in April 2013 by his parish priest; when an individual…

“We want to care for our son,”  shared Felipe Gonzalez when explaining to the compañera at Taller de José why…

To celebrate and honor the journeys that our compañeras and clients make together, a team of ten runners accompanied one…

“Who was the first President of the United States?” “What Ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?”…

It was a typical day working as a compañera with Taller de José; however, instead of going into the office…

Before the start of this Lenten season, I had the opportunity to share the mission of Taller de José with…

  The temperature was below 0 degrees that day in Chicago when Marisela and her compañera were to go to…

Freezing rain was falling as Elena and her compañera walked single-file along a narrow strip of clear sidewalk, piles of…

Isabel came to Taller de José fighting on behalf of her child.  Her young son, Ramiro, was experiencing daily bullying…

Paul’s story of accompaniment began on a cold winter day outside the homeless shelter where he was staying. Paul was…

This Advent season, we are reminded to “receive the stranger,” to welcome “the other” into our hearts and homes. As…