The Barometer Online

Issue date: 5/20/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Ellen Ogle, founder of the Acorn Foundation, holds Briza Shorytalle while her mother, Ana Laura (center), studies at a biweekly meeting. The Acorn Foundation teaches English to immigrants.

The Acorn Foundation was formed in 2000 by members of the Calvin Presbyterian Church with a vision of reaching out and providing educational guidance to immigrants in the Corvallis community.

Centralized in a duplex on Division Street, called the Acorn Center, the group provides a number of services to the low-income families in their neighborhood. Founder Ellen Ogle noticed a large number of Latino families living in the area, prompting her to narrow the focus of the group to their neighborhood specifically.

"Our goal is to teach them English no matter if they came here legally or illegally," Ogle said. "I see it as a practical service to the community - motivated through the Christian faith."

The group's motto says it all: "Loving God. Serving Neighbors."

In the nearly 10 years of its existence, Ogle reflected on how a number of the group's students have come to where they are now.

"When they [students] first come, most are very tentative and nervous," Ogle said, "many are not very confident in their use of language in the community. A majority of the students come and go and get down on themselves."

Ogle, wife of OSU new media communications professor, Peter Ogle, discussed how inconsistencies in attendance hazards the effectiveness of the program because some students will come for months, then disappear for a year. Ogle takes into consideration the fact that many of these individuals have families and more than likely are not able to make a full time commitment due to work and other issues.

"Progress has become an issue because we haven't been able to work with them as much as I wish we could," Ogle said.

Juana Gutierrez, a Latino mother of three, is a student of Ogle's. She discussed her many motivations for attending the Acorn Center.

"It is important to learn because my son is going to school soon and I want to be able to help him with his homework, maybe volunteer in his school."

Continued...

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