Looking at Naomi Segel, a blonde, Jewish girl from New York, you would never guess that she is the Spanish translator at JFS. But looks are deceiving! Naomi studied Spanish for six years in junior high and high school, but has rarely spoken the language since then. Shortly after she started at JFS as a Family Safety Net case manager last year, she noticed the lack of resources we had to accommodate Spanish-speaking clients. Since she spoke more Spanish than any of the other staff members, she took the initiative to brush up on her Spanish skills.
There was a Food Pantry volunteer who spoke Spanish, so Naomi asked her for help and they started going out to lunch frequently to practice speaking the language. During their lunches, they only spoke Spanish so Naomi could gain confidence with her skills. She quickly felt more comfortable with the language and started translating signs at JFS, doing client intakes and answering phone calls in Spanish, and researching resources in the community.
"As I'm getting more proficient with my Spanish, I'm able to have more complex conversations with clients to figure out what they really need and how we can best serve them," says Naomi. "People now get excited to see me because they know I can talk to them. I'm not quite fluent yet, but I'd say I'm about 75% of the way there!"
To recognize Naomi for her hard work and going above and beyond the call of duty, JFS presented her with a Distinguished Service Award at this month's staff meeting. "It feels great to be appreciated," says Naomi. "JFS is such a great place to work!"
-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department
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