MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Volume 7, Issue 11 November 2017 o Wonderful Winter Time Winter is a season that divides us into two groups of people; those who love it and Coming Events those who dislike it. Those who dislike winter  1—World AIDS tend to hibernate and often get the winter Awareness Day doldrums, or a period of seasonal depression.  December 7—Pearl Harbor There are factors contributing to this, as the Remembrance Day amount of sunlight is at its lowest level for  December 10—Human Rights Day the year and temperatures are generally too  December 12—Feast Day at frigid for prolonged outdoor activities. So Our Lady of Guadalupe how do you beat these blustery winter  December 12— months? Begins  December 15—Bill of Rights If you ever listen to why a person loves win- Day ter so much, they will tell you all about the  December 21— activities that they do. A cold, snowy, season  December 23—Festivus Day does not stop sports from being played, as  December 24— Eve evidenced by the Winter Olympics. There are  December 25—Christmas Day local downhill skiing or snowboarding sites  December 26— Be- to keep you entertained, such as Mount gins Pleasant of Edinboro, PA or Peak ‘N Peak in New York. For those that don’t want to spend a lot  December 31—New Year’s Eve of money, try sledding on the steep hills of Frontier Park. There are rinks for ice skating, or folks can just wait until ponds and the bay have frozen over to skate there also.

Cold does not have to stop you from enjoying the outdoors, as you can Multicultural Community bundle up to go for walks as long as Resource Center of Erie the wind-chill is not too dangerous. Michael Burns, Esq., Board President Some people even enjoy going Joanna R. Cherpak, Executive Director camping, staying in a cabin, or an appropriate tent for cold weather with insulated sleeping bags. Even MCRC Noticias Editorial Team: golfers can get their fix during the Cathie Whitmire, ESL Instructor winter season at the Golf Dome in Carol Brigham, Education Manager the Family First Sport Park. There is a Gregg Sikora, IT Specialist mini golf tournament called the Jordan Cherpak, Wellness Coordinator Barstool Open that goes on down- 554 East 10th St., Erie, PA 16503 town and the Frostbite Open on the Ph: 814.455.0212 FAX: 814.453.2363 Bay (or Presque Isle if it’s not frozen Email: [email protected] over) both in February.

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Continued from Page 1: Good tips to keep in mind are: Get some sun. Your body needs some sunlight to stay healthy, because there are vitamins that natural sun rays provide. Since there is less sunlight, open the curtains and let some more light into your home or office throughout the day. Try to spend some time outside when the sun is out, even if you need to bundle up. Stay social with friends and family. People tend to de- crease their socialization as the weather gets cold and not go out for that reason. Plan indoor get- togethers, such as meeting at the Mall or to go see a movie. Try to remain active. You can exercise inside just as much as you do in the warmer weather, so be cre- ative and plan ways to keep fit on gloomy days. The more moving around you do, the warmer you get. So you can kill two birds with one stone.

Winter isn’t so bad if you stay active and plan activities to do throughout the season. November through January are packed with holiday festivities to keep you moving. Staying active during the remaining winter months is easier if you participate in things you enjoy, and Spring will be here be- fore you know it! V OLUME 7 , I SSUE 11 P AGE 3

Annual MCRC Thanksgiving Feast

Thursday, November 16th was the annual MCRC Cultural Thanksgiving Luncheon. We were honored to have Mayor Elect Joe Schember and Renee Lamis joining us. The team at MCRC work tirelessly to put this together for staff, board members, refugee and Latino clients and honored guests. It was a good day! V OLUME 7 , I SSUE 11 P AGE 4

What is Your Favorite Holiday? We asked our staff at MCRC to tell us what their favorite holiday was, either here in the United States or from their own culture: Hands down my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It’s not because of food or history of the holiday. I LOVE the holiday because it's an opportunity for families and friends get together and feel closer and also invite strangers into the house. Throughout the years, my family had been invited by my friends or co-workers to celebrate the holiday with their families. And we have always felt welcomed and even 'adopted' in that family culture and traditions for the day. We would cook, serve, pray, eat, and clean together. We would make new friends in the process. The same happens this year. -Lana Locanto, Truancy Prevention/C.A.R.E. Manager

My favorite holiday is Christmas because this is the holiday I have the fondest memories of my family and being all together. I remem- ber, when I was younger, laying under the and looking up from the bottom to the top at all the lights. I love the smells of my Mom cooking in the kitchen—the stuffing bread especially! I love the excitement of my Mom, Dad and brother opening presents I made or bought especially for them and the look of surprise my Grandma would have on her face at the things we got her. Christmas is, by far, my favorite holiday. -Sabrina Tolbert, Public Housing FSS Case Manager

I like thanksgiving the best. It’s a time when family and friends get together to say thanks. No pressure, no presents just celebrate. - Paul Jericho, Associate Director -Programs

My Favorite Holiday when I was in my home country (IRAQ) “Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adh-Ha”. After living in my new country the United States, I enjoy ritual of celebrating “Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday”. -Imad Diab, Immigration Specialist

My favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. My family and friends always makes sure to get together to celebrate our shared roots. Wheth- er it’s gathering for the parade or listening to traditional Irish music, St. Patrick’s Day is always my favorite day of the year. -Ryan Caus- grove, Employment Team Leader

My favorite Holiday is , because of the creativity that goes into the decorations and costumes that people wear. There also tends to be some fun events and festivities that are associated with it. -Jordan Cherpak, Wellness Coordinator & Tobacco Cessation Educator

My favorite holiday is Christmas- because it’s the time of the year when family all come together and celebrate, enjoy each other and the gifts of course. Even though I am in America my family and I remember Christmas as if we were in Puerto Rico by following the tradition of having our favorite foods/dishes on this day. -Marie Colon, Language Services Coordinator

My favorite holiday is Independence Day. I enjoy celebrating it outside grilling food for others to enjoy and watching the fireworks at night. -Sheila Myers, JEHGA Social Services Manager

My favorite holiday is a family vacation. It’s an opportunity for the whole family to get away from all the things that happening in our busy lives: work, school, sport, household chores, etc. Even if it’s just a couple of days get away somewhere outside Erie. We try to go to different places in that area, visit the restaurants we have never been before, make new friends etc. -Anna Tischenko, Director Ref- ugee Social Services

We celebrate Eid , coming after the month that we fast in () and it is 3 days. -Nawar Al Janabi, Arabic Case Manager

…So what is your favorite holiday and why? V OLUME 7 , I SSUE 11 P AGE 5

On Tuesday, November 28th, members of the MCRC Elder Program and Sign Language Class took a trip to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in Buffalo, NY. Program participants were able to identify plants that they knew from their home countries as well as see new plants that come from other places around the world. The gar- dens were beautifully decorated for the holidays, including many spe- cial varieties of poinsettias and a model train display.

Children from the MCRC After School Program made colorful 3-D snowflakes which "decked the halls" of St. Vincent Hospital "Festival of the Trees" this weekend! Thank you to St. V's for displaying our children's art work! V OLUME 7 , I SSUE 11 P AGE 6 MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

554 East 10th Street Erie, PA 16503 Phone: 814-455-0212 Fax: 814-453-2363 Web: www.mcrcerie.org

Stay Positive Always Frequently I find myself thinking that the World is spinning off its axis. We get inundated with so much information each day – whether it be sexual harassment allegations, political controversies, natural disasters, etc. Most of it what we see and read is so negative. However there are very positive things happening every day. However they either go unseen or are buried so deeply under the negative rubble that no one knows they exist. Mental health providers have indicated that fear, anxiety and depression amongst the American population has increased significantly under this current presidential administration. To counteract this religious leaders are trying to get their “flocks” to have more faith and build more unity. Sadly the en- Your Donation tire world is in a state of flux and the not knowing can be daunting. is Appreciated To make a financial gift to The United States has always been a humanitarian nation. We have always MCRC, send it to Joanna opened our arms to those from foreign lands. The foundation of the coun- Cherpak, Executive Director, try was built on immigrants so why wouldn’t we embrace our brothers and 554 East 10th St., Erie, PA sisters from around the world!? However now that the number of refu- 16503 or donate online at gees, and most likely immigrants, allowed into the United States has been www.mcrcerie.org. downsized, our ability to help more people has been downsized too. The MCRC is a 501 ( c)(3) charity upside is nothing is truly forever so perhaps in time things will work them- and all donations are tax de- selves out. There is an English proverbs that states: “If there is a will, there is ductible. a way”. We need to keep that tucked in our minds and believe that it will all work for the best very soon. Being positive uses less energy than being negative! MCRC volunteer opportunities exist

for one-time or continuing activities. Please visit the As we enter into the holidays, we, the MCRC Family, wish you the very best and offer many blessings to you in the New Year. Be safe always and enjoy Volunteer tab at our Website at all the beauty of the season! www.mcrcerie.org or look for us on the Get Connected Erie website at Genuinely yours, www.getconnectederie.org/ agencies/mcrcerie Joanna R. Cherpak To inquire, send an email to Executive Director [email protected]. Be sure to include your name and phone number in your message.

Proudly serving the needs of the Hispanic and refugee communities since 1975.