11
August 2020 www.miamiarch.org
YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY
CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO
Florida Catholic correspondent
HOMESTEAD Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced the La Salle Educational Center to close its doors in March, the shutdown did not end its service to families liv- ing at the South Dade Labor Camp, where the center is located. Relying on donations and a few volunteers, the center fed local fam- ilies, distributed diapers for babies and toddlers, and provided face- masks for households. The center's staff also tutored students and even hosted a summer camp for kids. (See story, Page 10). The South Dade Labor Camp has 300 units that house adults, fami- lies with children, and an elderly population. Staff at the La Salle Center discovered one of the largest problems residents faced during the pandemic was accessing food from distribution locations. Parents were going to work. They weren't able to stand in line and miss work, and many of them didn't have transportation to be able to do it," said Monica Lau- zurique, the center's director. Miami Dade County Public Schools' Migrant Education Pro- gram provided breakfast and lunch to students from March 16-20, 2020. After that, meal distributions moved to public schools and other locations outside of the camp. Prior to COVID-19, the La Salle Center fed an average of 100 fami- lies monthly from their pantry. During the pandemic, they expand- ed their reach, acquiring food for all 300 residential units and distribut- ing it door to door on a weekly basis. Using a rented U-Haul, the cen- ter's staff picked up directly from Farm Share, a local supplier that regularly provides La Salle and other food pantries in south Florida with donations of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned goods, and pro- teins such as chicken, pork, cheese, yogurt, and more. Over 100 boxes of baby diapers and wipes were also donated by Belen Jesuit Prepara- tory School. With no students in the center's classrooms, the La Salle team used the space to sort items and prepare bags for delivery. I think there was a lot of surprise that food was coming to them," said
Going door-to-door to help children
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, La Salle Educational Center delivers food, masks, diapers and tutoring
Lauzurique. "But they were worried even about the safety of where stuff was coming from, which was kind of interesting - when you're des- perate for something, but you also want to make sure that it is safe for your family." The La Salle team wore face- masks when they made their de- liveries, although at that point in the outbreak, mask wearing was not mandated. The team agreed to wear masks to keep themselves, and the people they visited, safe. Most camp residents have little or no access to medical care due to their income and immigration sta- tus. It's not something people talk about. Their normal situations are stressful as is, and with the uncer- tainties of COVID, there are addi- tional stressors," said Lauzurique. When they realized that resi- dents also would need masks, the La Salle team asked for donations through social media. Lasallian Christian Brothers schools from New Jersey and Oklahoma sent masks, as did the Little Lighthouse Foundation, a Miami nonprofit that assists underserved children and their families. Many local friends of the La Salle Educational Center also sewed masks and donated them. I'm beyond thankful for them because they have gone above and beyond," said Lauzurique.
TUTORING
On May 5, 2020, the La Salle Center re-opened with a limited after-school tutoring program, al- lowing those previously enrolled to return for one-hour, one-on-one tutoring sessions. Social distanc- ing was enforced, as were sanitary and disinfection measures plus the wearing of masks - a first for many students. The staff at La Salle was curi- ous to see what students had been doing at home since Miami Dade
To help the La Salle Education- al Center visit www.celasalleh. org.
County Public Schools moved to virtual learning in mid-March. The center had recently hired reading specialist Brenda Blanton to help during the regular academic year as well as the "summer slide," a phrase referring to the academic and achievement gains made dur- ing the previous school year that are lost during summer vacation. Blanton helped to asses where the students were academically and provide one-on-one tutoring. The La Salle team found that some students had kept up with assignments, while others had not done anything in over a month. That's difficult for a student that might not be using the best laptop, has very spotty internet, or doesn't have the structure at home for someone to say, 'Hey, it's time to sit down and get this done,'" Lau- zurique said. She noted that most of the chil- dren's parents continued working during the shutdowns because they have agricultural or construction jobs. "That is a job you cannot do from home," she said. Parents and guardians who are home often can't help the children with schoolwork because they don't speak English and are not skilled with computers. Some adults face the challenge of their own illiteracy. All of a sudden, here a mom re- alizes, 'How do I keep up with this? How do I keep up with this when I don't speak the language that the teacher speaks, and I just don't know?' It's not easy. It's a big learn- ing curve," said Lauzurique. For the remainder of the school year, she checked in weekly with students and their families via phone calls and ClassDojo,, a com- munication app with a simple interface created for teachers, stu- dents and parents. She also visited families in-person if they did not respond. With the uncertainties sur- rounding the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, the La Salle staff are discussing ways they can continue to help the labor camp's students and families. They have applied for a grant and have received some funding from the Southeastern District of the Lasallian Christian Brothers, but the overall financial need is great. Right now, we're looking at it from August to January. This is go- ing to be a long-haul," Lauzurique said.
n
La Salle Educational Center reading specialist Brenda Blanton guides a student with his homework. Blanton was originally hired to help with the "summer slide," a term referring to the summer months when academic skills are sometimes forgotten by students. When COVID-19 shifted schools and homework online, Blanton helped students adjust and keep up with changes. With face masks on and a trunk full of food, La Salle Educational Center team Silvia Munoz, Monica Lauzurique, Dulce Olivera, and Yancy Velasquez pose for a selfie before distributing food donations door to door in the South Dade Labor Camp, where 300 units are the homes of adults, families with children and elderly. A resident of the South Dade Labor Camp receives several loaves of bread from a La Salle Educational Center volunteer. COVID-19 made it difficult for residents to acquire food because many were working or had no transportation to meal drive-through sites. La Salle helped by delivering food door-to-door donated by Farm Share.
Previous Page