By Sallie Bachar)
Catholic Herald Correspondent

Effort meeting Hispanics' needs

MERRILL -- Interruptions are commonplace in the work day of Becky Boller, and yet those interruptions are the basis of her job. Boller, who speaks fluent Spanish, is the director of Comunidad Hispana, a grass roots effort initiated by the Holy Cross Sisters in Merrill to reach out to the increasing number of Hispanics and Latinos in the Merrill area.

Translated, Comunidad Hispana means Hispanic Community, a name that speaks directly to the people the organization is trying to help. It is the result of a small ministry begun by the sisters several years ago that has now grown into a separate program with its own facilities and goals. Doug Leonard, public relations director for the Holy Cross Sisters, said, "Our communities have a new challenge to meet the needs of the immigrants. The Bible says we are to welcome the strangers, and these are the strangers in our midst today."

The organization's purpose is to assist Hispanics in virtually anything. "We try to make existing services more readily available to them and see to it that their basic human needs are being met," said Boller. "There is no discrimination here, and everyone is treated equally."

Her goal is to make Comunidad Hispana not only a place where the Hispanics can come for any type of help, but also to make it a place where the people themselves willingly come together to find a sense of home in a strange country. "They not only have to become acclimated to our culture, but they still need to hang onto their own values and culture," Boller added.

Other service providers are recognizing the facility as a central place to reach the Hispanic community. Parenting organizations, health care groups and even the Department of Transportation are providing the center with literature and information to be distributed. "We are growing without even realizing it," said Boller.

Currently a group of 20 families regularly use the services offered, while every week another family or individual seeks assistance. Word of mouth is spreading, Boller said, and people are coming from all over, including Wausau, Antigo and other smaller surrounding communities.

Unemployment is a big concern. The Hispanics and Latinos immigrate to the United States because they are dissatisfied with the governments in their own countries. They want to be able to provide an education for their children, to buy a home and to have the freedom to better themselves. Said Boller, "They are hopeful they will make a go of it here."

For the most part, the Hispanics' level of education is low. That, coupled with the fact that many do not speak English, makes it extremely difficult for them in the community. Consequently, Boller spends a good portion of her time reading letters for them, interpreting, translating and helping them with things Americans easily take for granted, such as telephone hook-ups and dentist appointments.

She conducts English as a Second Language classes for approximately 8-10 people and hopes to add an after-school program for the children, where they can receive help with their homework and maintain their cultural identity. In addition, she would like to distribute clothing at the center which would be separate from Merrill's St. Vincent de Paul Society, because the Hispanics are more comfortable at Comunidad Hispana. "This is where the people come," she said.

Funds are very limited at this point, however. Boller works only part time on a grant from the Holy Cross Sisters but has applied to the diocesan Catholic Campaign for Human Development for an additional grant. "I am working with a minimum of resources," she said. "There is a lot I could be doing that I cannot." She feels she should be addressing housing and unemployment issues as well as making sure the jobs the people already have are secure. "We need office equipment too," she said, "and I would like to be able to fund some educational seminars regarding law enforcement, immigration concerns and money management."

Another wish of Boller's would be for a part-time assistant. Because most of her day is spent providing immediate assistance to people who come in unexpectedly, very little time is left to develop new programs and coordinate services.

Boller, who is from Wausau, is married to a Mexican, and they have one son. After graduating from the UW Madison she went to Mexico to teach English at the University and other private schools. She met her husband there, and they lived in Mexico for a time before deciding to move back to the United States. "We still miss Mexico," she said, "even though we both like it here."

Recognizing the growing number of Hispanics in the area, Boller had a personal desire to establish some type of outreach center for them but didn't know how to go about it. The position offered by the Holy Cross Sisters was a perfect fit. "They gave me the keys to the building and basically told me to start it," she said. "It's exciting and at the same time also frightening for me, but I am learning to take one step at a time.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2004