A Faith That Does Justice is growing! We are excited to introduce you to five volunteers who have recently begun working with our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program:
Priscila Romero Lopes: Priscila has joined the team as a Student Relationship Manager (SRM). Priscila works with 6 students enrolled in the ESOL program to make sure they have everything they need to be successful in the course. Priscila says she enjoys the role because “They [the students] feel like they are welcome, they know we care about them as a person and they aren’t just a number.” Priscila also manages the Facebook group for ESOL students, alumni, and volunteers. Priscila recently returned from Boston to her home in Brazil and will continue her SRM mentoring role from there.
Lynne Prevost: Lynne joins the team as the ESOL Registrar. Her role is to manage the student information database. When asked why she decided to volunteer for A Faith That Does Justice, Lynne said “The pandemic is impacting everyone’s lives, but it doesn’t mean we should stop giving and being part of a community that helps others. Taking a moment to give back and have empathy and caring through volunteering can enhance your life.” Lynne works in the IT department at Harvard Law School.
Rebecca Morrison: Rebecca has joined A Faith That Does Justice as an SRM for the ESOL program. Rebecca is trained as a school counselor and worked in the Framingham public schools for 18 years. In talking about her role, Rebecca says that “in addition to the linguistic aspect, there is a cultural difference for people coming from South and Central America and having had a lot of experience with families and people from those cultures helps me to help them in bridging where they are coming from to how things run here. Our role is to make the students feel understood.”
Shane Quinn: Shane joins the team as an ESOL Tutor, aiding teachers and guiding students through the lesson plan. Shane studied linguistics and enjoys working with students who speak other languages. Shane says he was interested in this role because “you are able to help people with their language skills which can help in so many different ways.” Shane lives in downtown Boston.
David Goldman: David also joins AFTDJ as an ESOL Tutor. He says he was inspired to volunteer by his family: his parents are both English teachers and his wife is a native Spanish speaker. “I travel to Mexico a lot with my wife. I am learning Spanish now and I think about being with my wife’s family and how exhausting it is trying to think in a different language. I think of the isolation I would feel initially. Her family is great and welcoming and warm, but I remember having to rest a lot and laughing a lot because I just didn’t understand what was going on. That’s what someone experiences but on a larger scale when they come to the US.”
A Faith That Does Justice is an all-volunteer organization. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website to learn about our current opportunities.