24942: Hermantin(News)Social worker makes an impact helping Haitian children in after-s (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Social worker makes an impact helping Haitian children in after-school
program




By Sally J. Ling
Special Correspondent

May 8, 2005

Edwin Wilson, 13, a Carver Middle School seventh-grader, thinks the new,
Creole-speaking social worker at his after-school program has made a
difference.

"She plays games with us and helps us with our homework. She teaches me to
behave and not to say curse words anymore. I feel better about myself now,
and my attitude is better," said Wilson, who has been attending Paul's Place
for five years.

The program, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach, recently hired
Flore Die' part time to work with 20 at-risk students and their families,
said director Allen Whittemore.

"The Haitian community is growing in leaps and bounds," Die' said. "Many of
the children's parents don't speak English, so I try to be a link between
the home and school."

She works at Paul's Place from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and also
coordinates the program's volunteer efforts.

Die' moved to the United States from Haiti when she was 6. She graduated
from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor's degree in social work and
is a licensed Creole translator.

The program, which started in the fall of 2000, was designed to prevent
children from dropping out of school, Whittemore said.

"We give the children a warm, safe place to come directly from school," he
said. "Many are children of working parents who may or may not be home. We
provide tutoring and homework help, feed them a full meal, give them
supervised recreation, field trips, and try to mentor them as much as
possible."

The budget for the 2005 program is about $90,000 and operating funds are
received from private foundations and donations, according to Whittemore.
Some organizations that have contributed to Paul's Place are The Church of
Bethesda by the Sea in Palm Beach, Lattner Foundation in Delray Beach, St.
Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach and Southeast Florida Episcopal
Foundation in Palm Beach Gardens, which gives the program a grant for food.
The cost of meals is included in the budget.

Delray Beach resident Mark Smith, 71, volunteers at Paul's Place four days a
week, helping children ages 9 to 11 with their homework in English, writing,
arithmetic and spelling. He has worked there for four years.

"Smith gets plugged in wherever he's needed. This is the first year we've
had him work with elementary age children. In prior years, he's worked with
middle and high school age students," Whittemore said.

He said Die' has made a big impact.

"Flore's being here has improved the program 300 percent," he said. "She
knows the language and the parents. All the children speak very good
English, but whenever there's a question or problem, Flore is there to
straighten it out for me."

Die' said she takes a holistic approach to her work.

"In addition to working with the students, I make home visits and help the
parents look for work in the help-wanted ads in the newspaper, practice
their interviewing skills, and talk to them about appropriate dress. The
families are free to call me anytime," she said.

She holds parent meetings one evening a month to discuss topics of interest,
such as domestic violence, how to read their child's report card and obtain
medical insurance.

"More of the parents are participating because the language was a big
barrier. Now they feel more comfortable and are better understood," Die'
said.

Vena Valceus, 32, of Boynton Beach, is a single mother with two boys in the
after-school program. "Without the program I wouldn't be able to make it.
Ms. Flore is very good, and she has helped a lot with the Haitian parents,"
she said.
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel