You might ask, “What can the AALV do for your organization or community group?” That is a very good question. We might recommend contacting the AALV for the following reasons:
You have an African-born client who doesn’t understand the types of services that you provide or how to access/utilize them effectively. Reach out to our staff and “train the trainer.” We are a point of information dissemination in the African community. Send us your materials, explain your organization to us, and we’ll be happy to spread the word.
You want to familiarize your staff with the culturally specific needs and concerns of the African-born community. This is our favorite subject. When other “mainstream” agencies and community groups understand our challenges, they can work more effectively with us to overcome these challenges. We can provide general information on culture and perspective, or we’d be happy to explore specific programs and processes in partnership with you. We typically conduct these sessions in teams of four – a staff member, a board member, and two community members.
You’d like to participate in one of our New Americans Workshops. These are great opportunities to showcase your services for the African community while diversifying your client base. Please speak with George Wright, our Executive Director, to establish a culturally-effective curriculum and plan site logistics. Some of our workshops are video recorded, edited, burned to a DVD, and used again during home visits with community members for additional educational benefit.
