L'Italo-Americano

SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 34 L'Italo-Americano I talian Community Services (ICS) is a resource for Italian and Italian-American people and families in the Bay Area who are looking for support to live healthy, independent, and productive lives. ICS has been around for over 100 years, evolving over time to meet the changing needs of its community and s e r v e i t w i t h c o m p a s s i o n , while preserving the Italian l a n g u a g e a n d c u l t u r e a n d emphasizing the importance of family, community, educa- tion, and goodwill. ICS gives Italian and Ital- ian-American people in the Bay Area a lot of ways to m e e t n e w p e o p l e a n d have fun. There are Italian conversation classes, arts and crafts, volunteering, cooking classes, daily access to Rai TV, musical performances, access to books, Italian movies, and karaoke. In addition to these activities, ICS also offers well- ness classes for seniors, informational talks, and care coordination for people going from hospitals or reha- bilitation centers to their own homes. Supporting seniors in navigating government-spon- sored assistance programs, connecting to resources in their communities, and pro- viding assistance to family members are key activities of the organization, too. ICS also offers financial support for those who qualify and venue space for Italian language and culture themed meetings and events. Last but not least, ICS provides hospital and nursing home visits and food assis- tance through their own ser- vices or Meals on Wheels. Particularly popular are ICS' weekly luncheons and events at Casa Fugazi, a his- toric building in North Beach that was created to serve the Italian and Italian-American communities of the Bay Area. Every Wednesday, ICS hosts a free luncheon for the Italian community, and every Thurs- day, they offer a variety of community activities such as field trips, card games, movie days, and arts and crafts. For those who may not be com- fortable attending events in- p e r s o n , I C S h a s a l s o launched the Friendline Program, which pairs vol- unteers with older communi- t y m e m b e r s f o r f r e q u e n t check-ins and friendly calls. During the COVID-19 pan- demic, ICS began sending care packages containing fresh produce, imported Ital- ian non-perishable goods, activities, recipes, flowers, and information about ser- vices to their community members — many of whom were isolated seniors — to s p a r k j o y a n d e n c o u r a g e togetherness during the diffi- cult times. The initiative was successful and very reward- i n g , s o m u c h s o t h a t I C S decided to keep it going dur- ing special holidays with the help of community partners and dedicated volunteers. With Easter just around the corner, ICS and its volun- teers have been working hard to organize and prepare ded- icated care packages for Italian community members at ICS, a large majority of whom are isolated seniors that may not have family members to spend the holi- days with. ICS' aim is to give back to its community with a gesture of love and support: the delivery to their home of f r e s h I t a l i a n g o o d s f o r Easter. On Monday, April 3 rd , volunteers assembled over 100 care packages filled with fresh Italian goods and h a n d - d e l i v e r e d t h e m a l l throughout the Bay Area to community members. With the help of volunteers from Workday, Inc., Italian Com- munity Services brought a taste of Italy to many immi- grants who may not be able to celebrate the holidays with their families.a This year's Easter care packages were filled with a variety of products, including Colomba, Easter chocolates from Italy, fresh vegetables, soup, extra virgin olive oil, and pasta. They were com- p l e t e d w i t h a l e t t e r f r o m Executive Director Vyria Paselk Haverhals, Easter cards from Riccio Grant Recipients, and the ICS Community Events Calendar. The John C. Riccio Educa- tional Grant Program of the ICS awards the Riccio Grant every year to schools and organizations with great Ital- ian language programs and curricula. In fact, the teach- ing of both Italian and Eng- lish has been at the heart of many ICS activities through- out its century-long history. Aware of the importance of language for both integration and the rediscovery of one's heritage, ICS has been sup- porting both the teaching of English to new Italian immi- grants and the teaching of Italian to those whose first language is English. "For over 100 years, ICS has been providing — and will continue to provide — food, education, financial assistance, and cultural con- nection to the Italian com- munity. These services are vital to ensuring everyone has the proper resources for s e l f - s u f f i c i e n c y , s a f e t y , health, and connection to their Italian heritage. It takes a village, and we cannot do it without our generous volun- teers, donors, and amici," says Vyria Paselk Haverhals, Executive Director of Italian Community Services. Indeed, volunteers are important for ICS' work in the Bay Area because they h e l p b u i l d c o n n e c t i o n s between the association and its community, as well as b e t w e e n m e m b e r s o f t h e community itself. People of all ages and backgrounds work with the Italian com- munity, particularly elderly Italians, to strengthen these connections and help them gain a sense of belonging. The ICS volunteering pro- gram offers various volunteer opportunities, including serv- ing lunch, organizing social activities, making home vis- i t s , a n d p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n fundraisers. Volunteers are encouraged to share their ideas and contribute to the program's success. If you are interested in becoming an ICS volunteer,you can com- plete a volunteer application o n t h e I C S w e b s i t e (www.italiancs.org) or con- tact Community Relationship Manager Madison Barton at madison@italiancs.org. The Italian Community Services: supporting and cherishing the Italian community in the Bay Area for more than 100 years FRANCESCA BEZZONE Volunteers at the ICS wishing the Italian-American community a "Buona Pasqua" (Photo courtesy of ICS) The volunteers at work, preparing care packages for Easter (Photo courtesy of ICS)

• Cover