Northeast Charities stretches to serve,
reach out to its rural communities
Use arrow keys for gallery navigation. By Fabvienen Taylor
VARDAMAN — As Lia Ochoa pointed to the area colored with red chalk on a large silhouette of a male body tacked to the wall, a chorus of children’s voices bellowed out, “No.”
Next, Ochoa pointed to a blue section on a female body. “Yes” the chorus said during the child protection exercise.
After a few more examples, Ochoa complimented the group on their responses.
That activity was just one activity in a program, or workshop, designed by Ochoa, for Latin American children and youth.
About 19 children ages 6-12 attended the Friday morning program held in the large gathering room at the Northeast Catholic Charities Office, 109 Main St.
Ochoa, who teaches Spanish at Pearl High School, presented programs for the younger children and youth ages 13-19 on Thursday and Friday, June 25-26. The older kids met in the afternoon.
Themes for the presentations, designed by Ochoa, included self-esteem, rights and responsibilities, respect for the body, the value of family, nutrition, hygiene, community protectors and for the older youth, the importance of education, one’s mission/dream in life, responsibility and consequences.
Sister Terri Rodella is director of the Northeast Catholic Charities Office. Inez Melendez is the case worker/community outreach coordinator for the office.
Ochoa, a native of Peru, had worked for seven years as a Spanish translator with Sister Rodella at the EXCEL Program in Morton. EXCEL offered classes in adult education, tutoring, GED and support groups.
They keep in touch and after a conversation with Sister Rodella about the needs of the people in Vardaman and Houston, Ochoa designed the programs and volunteered to come to Vardaman to present them over several days.
The Charities office primarily serves the large population of immigrant Hispanic families whose adults and older teens work all day and often into the night in the sweet potato fields.
“During the summer the children are at home, a lot of times by themselves. They don’t have many things to do. Many are new here and they need to know about their community, about school, about themselves, about the importance of family and about their own culture,” Ochoa said. “Many are losing their Spanish language skills.”
Ochoa conducted the programs in Spanish, with a few instructions in English.
For the older teens Ochao led interactive sessions about developing their talents, education, and setting goals for their immediate and long-term futures.
“Lia is very interactive with them,” said Sister Rodella, who spent most of the day helping clients with pressing needs, one as far away as Columbus.
The northeast office provides services and outreach to the rural populations in the immediate five counties of Chickasaw, Choctaw, Calhoun, Webster and Oktibbeha.
But the two-person office stretches its reach — through collaboration and networking with resources provided by state and county agencies and organizations and the Catholic Charities office in Jackson — to serve people in the 20 counties comprising their territory in northeast Mississippi.
Sister Rodella has a list of more services and support — like parenting classes, youth programs, a support group for men and one for women – she says the community needs.
“Our whole program centers on ways of strengthening families, Spanish, white and black, with whatever their needs are, counseling, or whatever helps them to be healthy families, responsible and civic-minded.”
Melendez presents workshops on domestic violence, alcoholism and informational sessions, as well as a gardening project in collaboration with Mississippi State University’s (MSU) County Extension Service.
“Little-by-little, hopefully we are planing positive seeds for families to sustain themselves economically, mentally, spiritually and physically,” she said.
Sister Rodella said Catholic Charities’ goal is to maintain a rural office. “Cities have a lot more resources but transportation is a problem for many rural families. People need help in rural communities and we are trying to provide a presence here of service and outreach.”
A big need is for the northeast office to have more space to provide its services to a growing population.
To that end a larger building down the street from the current office has been leased and is being renovated as funds and volunteer labor are provided.
Lending a helping hand when needed are Father Vincent Burns, Aberdeen St. Francis of Assisi pastor, and Glenmary Brother Terry O’Rourke.
The two could be found Friday morning completing closets for the air conditioning and heating units being installed in the building.
They had been on the job for two days.
“We try to help Sister Terri as much as we can,” said Father Burns, as he stood inside a soon-to-be-finished closet nailing the last pieces of wood in place.
“What she is dong is absolutely essential and she is the best person to do it,” he said.
In another room Brother O’Rourke was cutting a board with a saw. Father Burns referred to him as a “master builder.”
He learned house construction in trade school as a member of the Glenmary Priests and Brothers.
*He spent many years building houses for the poor in Georgia, North Carolina and in Mississippi.
“I love doing things like this,” said Brother O’Rourke, 75. “And especially helping Sister Terri. She is doing such a wonderful job here building this office. We are really proud of that.”
