From Education to Information to Leadership to Financial Assistance, the Alpha Parent Center is Always There for Parents

By Aida in conversation with Alejandro Espinoza, Alpha Parent Learning Center Lead

ACE Note: The Alpha Parent Center (an ACE Learning Center) is about supporting the parent(s) of any Alpha School’s student. When the coronavirus shelter-at-home order closed schools, the Alpha Parent Learning Center’s focus continued to be on helping parents, just in a different way. Many families saw their incomes plummet or vanish, and Alpha created the Alpha Family Emergency Fund to assist families. Money for food, rent and other needed expenses was offered to each family. ACE donated to the fund as our mission of assisting with learning appropriately changed to assisting our friends and partners at the ACE Learning Centers. 

The ACE Spectrum Blog will focus on telling several parent’s stories about how the Alpha Parent Learning Center is an important part of their – and their family’s – life. Here’s a report from Aida in conversation with Alejandro.

 

Alejandro: Welcome to the discussion Aida. You have a child that attended Alpha Schools. Who is she and what is she doing this next school year?

Aida: I have a daughter, Ximena, who graduated from Alpha Cindy Avitia High School and is now attending San Jose State University this Fall 2020.

Alejandro: That’s great. How long have you been attending the Alpha Parent Center and what areas are you involved in?

Aida: I have been involved with the Parent Center for three years. For these three years, I have gone to college so I can learn how, as a parent, I can support my daughter Ximena when she goes to college. I have also been a part of the Alpha Food Bank for one year and have helped serve food to families in our community. Ximena has been involved in the Dream Club for three years, and there she grew as a person and as a leader. Ximena really liked to raise money to give scholarships to undocumented students to go to college. She has been at the Food Bank for two years.

Alejandro: Why did you want to attend the Alpha Parent Center?

Aida: I wanted my daughter to study in a school that met the necessary learning standards that would give her the motivation and support to go to college. And I wanted to go to workshops for parents to learn about how to support their children at school and encourage them to go to college. I also wanted to learn about resources that the Parent Center provides such as the English classes and the different workshops they hosted.

 Alejandro: What is the main thing you learned at the Alpha Parent Center and what is the benefit to you and your family?

Aida: Really, my daughter and we as a family are very happy with the learning and support we have received from the Parent Center. Through the workshops we have learned about the importance of college and about other resources that exist in San Jose in relation to immigration, college, and housing.

Alejandro: How have the pandemic management requirements impacted you and your family?

Aida: The pandemic had a great impact on our family that we never imagined. My husband’s work stopped for more than three months and mine too. To this day I am still out of work. It is difficult to maintain a family of five without a salary.

Alejandro: How has the Alpha Parent Center helped you through this time?

Aida: It has supported us financially through the Alpha Family Emergency Fund. Also, they have helped us with food through the Food Bank. Finally, the Parent Center has provided us with information about any problem that we are going through.

Alejandro: How are you using the special assistance funds from Alpha – rent, food, other?

Aida: Thanks to the financial support from the Alpha Parent Center we were able to pay part of our rent for the apartment where we live in.

Alejandro: What do you love best at the Alpha Parent Center?

Aida: The attitude of the staff, all the support and availability to give information to families.

 

Entrevista en español: Aida y el Alpha Parent Center

Alejandro: ¿Nombre de los niños que asisten a las escuelas Alpha y nivel de grado?

Aida: Ximena se acaba de graduar este año de la preparatoria de Alpha Cindy Avitia y ahora va ir a la Universidad de San Jose State en este otoño. 

Alejandro: ¿Cuánto tiempo ha estado asistiendo al Centro de Aprendizaje ACE en Alpha y en qué áreas está involucrada?

Aida: Yo he estado involucrada con el centro de aprendizaje por 3 años.  Por estos tres año e ido a talleres para ir a la universidad y aprender como como puedo apoyar a mi hija Ximena ir a la universidad. Tambien e sido parte del banco de comida de Alpha por 1 año y he ayudado a reportir comida para familias en nuestra comunidad. Mi hija Ximena a estado involucrada en el Dream Club por 3 años, donde se a desarrollarse como persona y como lider. A Ximena le gusta mucho recaudar dinero para la final del año dar becas a estudiantes indocumentados para ir a la universidad. Ximena tambien a estado en el banco de comida por 2 años.

Alejandro: ¿Por qué querías asistir al Centro de Aprendizaje ACE en Alpha?

Aida: Por que queria que mi hija estudiara en una escuela que reuniera los estándares necesarios de aprendizaje  que le diera la motivación y apoyo para seguir en una universidad. Y queria ir a talleres para madres/padres de familia para aprender sobre como apoyar a mi hija en la escuela y como ir a la universidad. Tambien queria aprender sobre mas recursos que el centro provee.

 Alejandro: ¿Qué es lo que aprendió en el Centro de Aprendizaje ACE en Alpha y cuál es el beneficio para usted y su familia?

Aida: Realmente, mi hija y nosotros como familia estamos muy contentos del aprendizaje y apoyo que hemos tenido de parte de del centro de aprendizaje ACE. Atra vez de los talleres que el centro hace, hemos aprendido sobre la importancia de la universidad y sobre otros recursos como en immigracion.

Alejandro: ¿Cómo le ha impactado la pandemia a usted y su familia?

Aida: La pandemia tuvo un gran impacto que nunca nos imaginamos. El trabajo de mi esposo paro por más de tres meses y el mio tambien. Hasta hoy en dia sigo sin trabajo. Es dificil mantener una familia de 5 personas con un sueldo.   

Alejandro: ¿Cómo te ha ayudado el Centro de Aprendizaje ACE en Alpha durante este tiempo?

Aida: El centro Ace en alpla nos han apoyado financialmente atra vez del    Fondo de Emegencia para Familias Alpha. Tambien, nos han ayudado con comida atra vez del banco de comida.  Por ultimo, el centro nos a brindado información para cualquier problema por el que estemos pasando.

Alejandro: ¿Cómo está utilizando los fondos de asistencia especial de Alpha – rent, food, other?

Aida: Gracias al apoyo financiero del centro ACE, pudimos pagar parte de nuestro alquiler por el apartamento donde vivimos.

Alejandro: ¿Qué es lo que más te gusta del Centro de aprendizaje ACE de Alpha?

Aida: La actitud del personal, toda el poyo y disponibilidad para dar información a las familias 

Note: This interview has been edited for style and clarity.