You will find the friendly smile of Criselda Gutierrez at the One Community Center at 300 N. Cascade Ave. in Montrose. The Center is a hub for educational activities and a source of information and referral to community resources. If you have a personal or family need and are unsure where to turn for answers to your questions, just call Criselda and she will direct you to the right person to assist you.

Criselda and One Community Director Elizabeth Roscoe have been busy hosting educational workshops and trainings in Montrose and Delta communities. Recent activities have included a question and answer session with immigration lawyer Jennifer Smith of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Jennifer spoke to ESL students and staff at The Delta Center April 5th. She presented an overview of immigration law and answered a wide range of questions.

Kate Syfert, Human Relations Director at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services gave two presentations May 13th, an afternoon session at The Delta Center and an evening session at Centennial Middle School in Montrose. Both events were well attended with over 30 participants who had many questions. Kate spoke about the naturalization process and also emphasized the documents and records people will probably need to have on hand in order to establish legal residency when the next immigration reform legislation is passed. She emphasized that people should be getting copies of birth certificates, other certificates, and picture IDs from their country of origin. All documents need to be translated. Records should be kept of bills and any other documents which demonstrate U.S. residency over a long period of time, including certificates of attendance at trainings, workshops, etc.

One Community was told at the end of February that people were expressing interest in preparing for citizenship but that there were no classes available in Delta. Knowing that Marie and Doug Stewart have helped students prepare for citizenship in Montrose since 2004, Elizabeth called them and they have generously offered of their time to fill a need for a citizenship preparation series in Delta. They began meeting with 10 students May 4th. Marie and Doug are dedicated to helping students be successful in their desire to become U.S. citizens.

Martin Valdez has served as the Outreach Director for One Community since Feb. 2009. He has recently taken a position with Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club beginning in June. One of the projects he developed while with One Community has been a youth sports & leadership development program in cooperation with Isaac Munoz of Tri-County Extension 4H in Delta. Participating students will learn to: set their own goals; work cooperatively with others; develop communication skills; personal and civic responsibility; conflict resolution; and event organization. It is hoped that these sutdents will be role models for their peers to stay in school, become involved in their community, and gain the skills to organize culturally integrated community events which have meaning for other young people. An example of such an event is the successful soccer tournament which was held May 3rd at Montrose High School with boys and girls teams from Delta, Olathe and Montrose.

The 100+ year old tradition of 4H Clubs is built on the willingness of parents and other community members to volunteer their time as club leaders and work with young people to help them realize their goals. 4H provides assistance and support for parents to do this successfully. The One Community 4H Clubs are designed to offer more advantages to Hispanic youth and their families by integrating them into the 4H clubs and the extensive resources that 4H has to offer. So to all parents the message is “We need you to help make this opportunity a reality for your kids!”

Do you and your friends and neighbors have questions related to education, health care, worker rights, local laws or other topics? If so, One Community, in partnership with the Western Colorado Rural and Migrant Coalition, is prepared to provide workshops with guest speakers to answer your questions. One Community is also partnering with the Montrose Diabetes Coalition to provide a diabetes support group in Montrose and Olathe. Sandy Emerson, a retired nurse, will help you learn about how to check your blood sugar and manage your diet, how to get inexpensive diabetes strips, the importance of exercise, and other topics.

The One Community Center, located at 300 N. Cascade Ave, Montrose, is here for you. Call Criselda at 249-6473 or 209-7277 if you want more information about One Community activities and events.