Allies is taking proactive steps to best support those receiving services through the organization by hiring bilingual support staff including employment specialists.
“Employing bilingual support staff, particularly bilingual employment specialists, offers significant benefits that directly enhance Allies’ ability to fulfill its mission and serve our diverse community effectively,” Luke Washack, VP of vocational services at Allies, said. “Having bilingual employment specialists on staff allow us to meaningfully expand our service capacity to better support our Spanish-speaking communities, ensuring equitable access to the vital services we provide.”
Currently, Allies’ Employment Services support 128 individuals in New Jersey and Delaware. Meliza Quintana-Morales and Lucia Perez-Bautista, both recent additions to the supportive employment team, will benefit the program by being able to offer support to people who only speak Spanish.
“My time with Allies has been a truly positive and enriching experience,” Quintana-Morales said. “Coming in as an adult student right out of college, I was eager to apply my education in a meaningful way, and Allies provided the perfect environment for that.”
“My Spanish-speaking ability allows me to communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking individuals and families, helping to build trust and ensure they fully understand the services and support available to them,” Quintana-Morales added.
Lucia is newer to the team than Meliza, but has already had an impact on those supported by Allies.
“It is very rewarding to know I am playing a role in their journey to employment and success,” Perez-Bautista said. “Seeing their hard work pay off and knowing I played a role in that is very special to me.”
Since their arrival, Meliza and Lucia have been beneficial to the organization as a whole and those they support directly.
“Meliza and Lucia have made a significant and warmly welcomed impact since joining Allies,” Washack said. “Both have demonstrated remarkable success in cultivating valuable opportunities for the individuals we support.”
“In situations where key decision-makers or those responsible for participant care primarily speak Spanish, Lucia and Meliza’s skills provide an invaluable advantage in ensuring access to vital information and fostering effective communication,” Washack added.
The addition of bilingual employment specialists to Allies will enable the agency to support groups that have previously been underserved.
“Allies deeply values diversity, and this commitment is reflected in our ability to connect with and understand individuals from various linguistic backgrounds,” Washack said. “Furthermore, we are directly addressing a recognized need within the State of New Jersey, where numerous families seeking our support identify Spanish as their primary language.”