Cultural Diversity Enrichment Initiative

Outreach to a Culturally Diverse, Under-Served Community

Background/Need
Few places in America over the past quarter century have undergone as profound a change in its ethnic character than the San Fernando Valley. Back in the 1970s, the region was a bastion of predominately Anglo, middle class residents living adjacent to the most cosmopolitan society of Los Angeles. Today that reality has drastically changed; the Valley has itself become increasingly multi-racial largely as the result of migration of immigrants from such diverse places as Mexico, El Salvador, Iran, Israel, Armenia, Vietnam, Korea, India and China. By 1990, this pattern was already well-formed; a decade later, the evidence is incontrovertible. One-third of the Valley's 1.7 million residents are foreign born; only half are Anglo, and many themselves recent immigrants (Source: Census).

CIS staff facilitate a multi-lingual
"Around the World" discussion
with the CIS Multi-Cultural Club

ESL and Spanish Classes assist
CIS participants to communicate more
effectively with one another

Initiative
We aim to bring peoples of the world together and gracefully facilitate assimilation as a process over time. CIS will enroll at least 10 under-served, under-informed, low income senior "ambassadors" from various cultures and bi-lingual staff/volunteers as necessary from cultural communities. Outreach representatives from each culture will translate brochures/information and make presentations at events, public service organizations and places of worship. A Cultural Scholarship Plan will include outreach to potential sponsorship/funding entities. Scholarships will be awarded to people from various cultures who otherwise could not afford to attend CIS Adult Day Program on their own.

CIS staff currently speak 5 languages; Armenian, English, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. English as a Second Language (ESL) and Literacy classes are currently offered. Music of various cultures is introduced weekly. There are bi-lingual Bingo games, integrated exercise classes, lunch, drama, and other inclusive programs. There will eventually be translations of web site information into other languages. CIS assisted the City of Los Angeles to translate its senior services brochure into Armenian.