By Dave Myers
Southwest Kansas Catholic

Having once lived in France, Amy Heinemann, a volunteer teacher with the Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas English instruction program in Garden City, knows what it means to face language barriers.

"It can feel isolating and frustrating,” she explained. “It makes one feel disconnected."

But it was different for Amy while living in France. After all, she knew she would eventually be returning to her then-home in Manhattan, Kan., where simply going to the bank or mailing a package doesn't include major communication challenges.

"Some of our students may not have even had a lot of education in their own language, and/or very little or no exposure to English, so it is a lot more challenging for them," Amy said.  "Even now, as I am trying to learn Spanish, I can empathize with feeling disappointed, frustrated, or just lost when not understanding something or not being able to verbally communicate. I am learning another language because I want to, but they are learning because they need to in order to effectively navigate their new world."

The Catholic Charities program does not include a typical classroom setting, with Amy standing at the head of the class having students listen and repeat words and sentences for classes on end.

Instead, two days a week, Amy helps students through their workbooks at their own pace.

"We work individually with each one. I come alongside to help them understand the lessons and review their completed lessons for accuracy. We are also there to encourage them in the learning process."

There are anywhere from 15 to 18 students in each class, ranging typically from their 20s through 40s. While the majority of the students are from Afghanistan and Haiti, she has also helped students from Myanmar, Congo, Cuba, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. There is no cost to the student.

"Most rewarding is being able to help people who have been on a very difficult journey learn one of the most important skills to help them adapt well to their new homeland," Amy said.  "Let's imagine ourselves in their situation.  For example, if we had to flee the U.S. to Afghanistan, it would be an incredibly difficult transition to learn that very different language with an entirely different writing system.  This is what they are experiencing only in the opposite direction.

"This volunteer work is a way to live out the Golden Rule, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’  (Matthew 7:12) If I were in that situation, I would hope someone would be willing to help me learn.  The students are very eager to learn, are very appreciative, and are very respectful."

There are challenges for her as a volunteer teacher, she said, most of which stem from being one of the few volunteers. (See the sidebar for information on how you can become a much-needed volunteer with Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas.)

"It is sometimes challenging not being able to give more individualized attention to each one," Amy said. "In the beginning it was challenging for the moms who brought their young children along to class (which was their only option to be able to come), because the kids would naturally want the constant attention of their mom, which cut into the mother’s learning time.  Then we were blessed a few months ago with a new volunteer that comes to play with the young children during the class, so now the moms can concentrate on learning.

"We would welcome more volunteers both to help with the English class, as well as to help play with the young kids."

Since many students don't speak any English, Amy starts by having them repeat the alphabet and numbers. "Then we guide them to practice writing the alphabet and numbers.  The workbook then takes them through increasingly challenging lessons as they advance their knowledge.  Also, oftentimes, there is another student in the class who speaks the same language as the student, but is at a higher level of English, so they can help translate if the student is having difficulty understanding the basics.  The students help each other too!

"I really enjoy this work as it is a very practical opportunity to make a meaningful difference for those trying to build a life here, while living out my God-given passions of learning languages and meeting people from different cultures," Amy explained. "Sometimes I will ask the students to teach me a word or phrase from their native language, which is a little bonus fun for me, but it also shows them that others can struggle learning what is easy for them.  Hopefully, it encourages them to not get discouraged by what they don't know and to be okay with making mistakes as they try to learn and to just keep persevering."

One can imagine that it's got to be a slow, frustrating process for the student. It's not difficult to put oneself into the mind of a student whom Amy recalls coming to the class for the first time.

“He was very closed off, with little expression, with no smile, nor much eye contact. A few weeks later, he worked through saying his ABC's successfully and it touched my heart how this seemed to liberate him a little bit.  He was smiling and beaming with happiness at his accomplishment.  He must have felt so lost and isolated in the beginning, but he started to see hope as he was beginning to unlock this language he needs to learn in order survive and thrive in his new homeland."

Catholic Charities seeks volunteers

Volunteers are needed for playing with/attending to young children (age 5 and under), while refugee parents learn English on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at the Garden City office. If interested, please contact Birgit Lemke with Catholic Charities at 620-277-9684.

Volunteers are needed to assist refugees learning basic English on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at the Garden City office. This is not an instructional class, but helping students work through English books at their own pace. No teaching experience is required. If you have a good grasp of the English language and are interested in helping new refugees learn, please contact Birgit Lemke at  620-277-9684.

Southwest Kansas Catholic: You mentioned that you are the only volunteer. What kind of a need is there for more volunteers?

Amy Heinemann: It would be an incredible blessing to add more volunteers to the team, as we could give more individualized attention to each student, helping them progress faster.  The intent of this class is to get students to the level that they would be ready to take more advanced English classes at the GCCC'S Adult Learning Center.

Southwest Kansas Catholic: Why do you think volunteering is important, especially with an organization like Catholic Charities?

Amy Heinemann: Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. (Matthew 20:28) We are called to follow His example.  The staff at Catholic Charities truly has a heart for the mission.  They are true servants in their work.  From my observations, in just the short time I have been there, they are very busy attending to the many needs of the clients. Sometimes it looks overwhelmingly busy, but I see them diligently serving with caring hearts and respect in attending to needs as best as they can.  We are blessed to have such servant hearts in this community.  The staff also shows sincere gratitude for the volunteers.

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