MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Coming Events

May 1—May Day

May 4– Star wars Day

May 5– Cinco De Mayo

May 8– National Teacher Day

May 12– International Nurses Day

May 13– Mother’s Day

May 15– Chocolate Chip Day

May 19—Armed Forces

Day

May 21– Victoria Day

May 25—National Tap Dance Day

May 28– Memorial Day

May 31– World No Tobacco Day

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Volume 8, Issue 4

April 2018

Multicultural Community

Resource Center of Erie

Michael Burns, Esq., Board President

Joanna R. Cherpak, Executive Director

MCRC Noticias Editorial Team:

Cathie Whitmire, ESL Instructor

Carol Brigham, Education Manager

Colleen Flatley, Student Support

Jordan Cherpak, Tobacco Cessation

554 East 10th St., Erie, PA 16503

Ph: 814.455.0212 FAX: 814.453.2363

Email: MCRC@mcrcerie.org

Nirmal Gurung began working at MCRC, for Refugee Support Services, in 2010- just a year after

coming to the U.S.

Since then he has worked as a caseworker, interpreter, post-secondary education manager, and

employment developer, largely with the Nepali and Bhutanese populations.

A typical workday for Nirmal consists of clients casually coming in and out of his office all day.

He does not require appointments. “Everyone has an issue,” he says. He gets them in, regis-

tered, and does whatever he can to help.

In March 2018, one of Nirmal’s dreams was realized. He added entrepreneur to his résumé. He

is now a licensed owner of Tandoori Hut Indian Cuisine in downtown Erie, located on the

northwest side of Perry Square.

Following his workday at MCRC, he goes to the restaurant, where his sister Dharma has just

finished serving hungry patrons their mid-day meal. Bikash, one of Nirmal’s clients, is the cook.

Located right in the heart of down-

town, it is a hot-spot for the lunch

crowd, pulling in: Gannon students;

courthouse staff; and workers from

UPMC Hamot or Erie Insurance just to

name a few. Nirmal is grateful for the

ideal location.

There have been challenges, like learn-

ing the many regulations associated

with running a food-based business.

Nirmal soon realized how few people

he had to turn to regarding these ob-

stacles. But his perspective is one of

hope.

The staff has been pleasantly surprised

at the local community’s tolerance for

spicy foods and the willingness to try different flavors. Tandoori Hut is Indian cuisine, yet the

food is similar to that of Nepal or Bhutan.

Opportunity Knocks: A Success Story

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During the week, the restaurant has a reasonably priced lunch buffet. After 4:30, you can order dinner from

the menu. It offers fresh naan breads-baked in-house, curries, kabobs and vegetarian fare.

There are some new menu items to come, including ethnic Nepali recipes, such as dumplings and noodles.

Nirmal has some advice for those who struggling to overcome cultural fears: “We have more opportunities

than challenges. Nothing is impossible.”

Continued from Page 1

Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Presque Isle State Park

Save the Date!

Online Registration now open

Any Questions?

Contact Carol Brigham

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 8 , I S S U E 4

Learning Civil Rights: How to Vote

“Part of the civic rights and responsibilities of all United States citizens is voting; however, voting is also

an act that many Americans choose to forego. As part of learning to become a citizen, students from

the Refugee Elder Program and the RSS Life Skills classes participated in a voting demonstration. A

representative from the Erie County Board of Elections visited the programs to discuss basic rules and

regulations of voting in Erie County. He also brought with him one of the electronic voting machines

used in Erie County elections equipped with sample questions. This allowed participants to gain

hands on experience using the stylus, touch screen and casting a vote. MCRC would like to thank the

Erie County Board of Elections for providing this valuable presentation.”

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Taking Care of Our Home Planet Earth Day was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson. He coordinated a nationwide event that brought environmental concerns to the spotlight.

On April 22, 1970 in Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, NYC and other larger cities, over 20 million people protested against industrial development and pollution. Earth Day instantly became a national holiday .

Later that year, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed as a governing body to protect the air, water and land. In the same year, the EPA passed legislation to do just that including: the Clean Water and Air Act and the Toxic Substances and Surface Mining Control Act to name a few.

Earth Day grew to 200 million when it went global, according to Earth Day Network. Today, over 174 countries participate, making Earth Day the “largest civic event in the world.”

EDN’s 2018 Earth Day theme is “End Plastic Pollution.” Besides harming marine life and polluting our oceans and wildlife, plastic is now known to cause early puberty and life-threatening diseases. This year, New York City Council plans to ban the sale of disposable plastic bottles at parks, golf courses, and beaches. San Francisco and Concord, Massachusetts have already done this.

In Bogota, Columbia, people will breathe clean air as they ride bikes, walk and enjoy the “car and motorcycle free day” to reduce environmen-tal pollution on Earth Day.

Elementary school children plant trees and participate in Save Earth awareness programs in India.

Philippines Coast Guard workers pick up plastic waste on Freedom Is-land.

Teens in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica all take part in reforestation activities under the slogan “Your Actions Transform the Planet.”

Next Earth Day, what actions can you participate in to transform the planet? Why wait? Why not Earth Day every day? It’s our planet, let’s take care of it.

“With all of us working together, I am hopeful that it is not too late to turn things around, if we all do our part for this beautiful planet.” Jane Goodall, 2018

Erie City Leaders Discuss Community Concerns

On April 19th, 2018, Mayor Joe Schember along with members from his staff held a meeting at MCRC’s Annex building from 6

until 7:30 PM. The meeting was an open discussion for staff and community members around MCRC to give their thoughts and

opinions on topics ranging from neighborhood safety to the job market. Those who attended called it a very positive meeting with

hope for the future. Thank you to the Mayor for taking the time to listen to these concerns.

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Ways to Help MCRC: Come support our fundraisers!!

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 8 , I S S U E 4

554 East 10th Street Erie, PA 16503

Phone: 814-455-0212 Fax: 814-453-2363 Web: www.mcrcerie.org

MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Your Donation

is Appreciated

To make a financial gift to

MCRC, send it to Joanna

Cherpak, Executive Director,

554 East 10th St., Erie, PA

16503 or donate online at

www.mcrcerie.org.

MCRC is a 501 ( c)(3) charity

and all donations are tax de-

ductible.

MCRC volunteer opportunities exist

for one-time or continuing activities.

Please visit the

Volunteer tab at our Website at

www.mcrcerie.org

or look for us on the Get Connected

Erie website at

www.getconnectederie.org/agencies/mcrcerie

To inquire, send an email to

MCRC@mcrcerie.org. Be sure to

include your name and phone number

in your message.

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

United We Stand….. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the United States Congress on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. In his address to them, he supported the alliance be-

tween the United States and France but…he also denounced some of the tenets of this current administration. He stated “We can choose isolationism. But closing the door to the world will not stop the evolution of the world. I don’t share fascination for new strong powers and the illusion of nationalism.” In a very eloquent, subtle way he shared his opposition to what is happening in terms of Immigration in the United States. Like the United States, France is also a refugee resettlement country and has a population of immigrants. In addition President Macron gave a disap-proving nod to the fact that the U.S. is not part of the Paris agreement which focus-es on climate change. He expressed his hope that we may one day rejoin the agreement as we were long time members until now. Canadian Prime Minister Jus-

tin Trudeau echoes President Macron in every way. It is very positive that our for-eign allies care so deeply about the welfare of our nation. Sometimes it appears we are losing hope but then something small but significant happens. Hope is renewed. One stellar example is the photo taken recently at First Lady Barbara Bush’s funeral. It was of Presidents George H.W. Bush, her husband, George W. Bush, her son, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; First Ladies Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. All of them had sincere smiles on their faces and love in friendship for each other. The incredible part is they are not all from the same political party nor share all the same views. However they respect each other immensely and basically “agree to disagree.” Essentially isn’t

that how it should be with everyone? Everything happens for a reason. It is not always clear why things happen in the order they do. However I am a firm believer that everything tends to work out the way it should. I always tell my staff to “take the high road” regardless of how you feel. Emotions tend to make us shoot from the hip when we need to learn to keep our finger off the trigger. Relying on logic and the sage advice of those who “have been there” is the wisest of choices. We at MCRC have always been chameleons adapting to the changes around us. We provide so many valuable services to the community and always give 110%.

Our hearts are always in the right place and our work ethic shows it. Like France we support our allies and hope they will support us in return. At the end of the day, we are all in this together. Being united is better than going it alone. Have a wonderful month of May and enjoy the Spring that has finally arrived!

Genuinely yours,

Joanna R. Cherpak

Executive Director