Located a block away from the heart of El Centro de Oro, the Latino community between Lehigh and Indiana avenues, one will find the Lillian Marrero Branch of Philadelphia’s Free Library system. Several staff members at Lillian Marrero are bilingual and regularly participate in bridging the gap between English- and Spanish-speaking members of the surrounding Fairhill community. This week, the library introduced its newest program: free English classes for anyone interested.
Volunteers from the Philly Socialists, a nonprofit group focused on giving back to the community, will be facilitating the free English classes. The classes will be held every Tuesday between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“We have no idea what kind of turnout to expect,” Philly Socialist member Emily Duffy said. “Our goal is to help members of this community better communicate with one another. Basic to conversational English classes are going to be offered to everyone, kids and adults alike.”
Other programs also take place during the week, such as the after-school homework help program LEAP, which provides assistance to students in grades K-12. The Marrero branch also offers bilingual computer classes every Tuesday through Thursday that teach basic to advanced computer skills. Classes include instruction on setting up and maintaining email accounts, introduction to using a mouse and keyboard, effective job search skills and social network tutorials.
Additionally, the library offers numerous bilingual activities and outreach programs, and almost all are free of charge. Recent citywide budget cuts have challenged the facility’s commitment to such programs. As a result of the budget cuts, the branch is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Still, such drawbacks have not discouraged those involved from continuing to make the programs happen.
“We’re now forced to do what we’ve always been doing, but now with significantly less resources,” said Aimee Thrasher-Hanson, the branch manager of the library. “We are hearing back from all members of the community that there is a very high demand for what we offer here, and everyone is so grateful for these programs.”
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