With the rising number of immigrants arriving in central Ohio, the need for immigrant services also rises. Many of these services tend to be concentrated in urban areas- but not all of them are.
There's an 18-year old immigrant service center in Marysville that has changed its focus to meet changing needs.
The Director of the international family center in Marysville begins her afternoon on the phone. Trying to line up an interpreter to help a Japanese client who needs to appear in traffic court.
Then Lorli Patterson greets 5 students for her twice a week English as a second language class. Today two women from Japan, a Spanish speaking couple and a woman from Thailand are trying to understand idioms.
The international family center helps about 90 families a year. It's services are free. Patterson says it began nearly 20 years ago as a place where the wives of Japanese executives would go to learn about American culture,"They went on picnics, held fashions shows, things like that."
While the center still works with a number of Japanese transplants, most of its clients are Hispanic. Many of them are construction workers who live in Union County for a year or two and move on.
A man who is staying is Christian Garcia. He's from Honduras and works in a local Mexican restaurant. On his day off he takes the English class.
The center has not only helped him with his English, It's brought peace to his marriage. Before they moved to Ohio, Christian and his wife lived in Arizona. Because of Arizona's large Hispanic population, it's easy to get by on just Spanish.
With few Spanish speakers in Marysville, his wife was unhappy and wanted to return to Arizona. Now, Maria Garcia is taking classes, learning English,
Lorli Patterson is an immigrant herself. She came to the US from the Philippines. She knows how even the easiest task can prove difficult for non-English speakers.
You can't even go to the grocery store because everything is in English, Patterson said.
The center not only teaches English and finds interpreters; it helps immigrants understand the banking system, and offers lessons on American culture where the topics might include what to give a child's classmate on her birthday.
But the center is struggling financially. It receives no government or United Way funding. It relies on individual and corporate contributions. Recently Honda eliminated its annual funding gift. The center moved to a smaller office with lower rent.
But its lone remaining staffer keeps at it, working with the board of director to find money and meet the needs of immigrants.
Because I know what it was like when I came here from the Philippines.
And Maria Garcia, She's still adjusting to the move from Arizona, but her language skills have improved and she'll stay in Marysville.
