Please respond to alarming news about Front Range Community College ESL classes defunded immediately

[mar...@hereandnowfarm.com]

Hello, representatives. 51 years ago I became a citizen of northern Colorado and I have been a part of making it a good place to live since then. I appreciate your service as state legislators.

 

I am quite alarmed, worried, even furious to have heard yesterday that funding has been abruptly revoked for a critical program many of the immigrants I work with count on. Here is the text I received from Lauren Pellow, the director of the director of the program:

I thought of you, as I just received notice last night of some very sad news. Here is the information I'll be putting out: Due to abrupt and unforeseen circumstances, The Learning Source will not be able to hold English classes for the foreseeable future. We were informed by the state of Colorado that funding sources that were awarded to us were retracted. We are unable to register any students or run any classes. I am deeply sorry to share this news, as we have loved being a part of our Fort Collins community through offering English classes. Thank you, Lauren Pellow (Program Director).

Tomorrow I was set to help an immigrant from Nicaraguan register for the English classes that were to begin in mid-July. This young man works full time roofing in Fort Collins, yet was ready to sign up for a beginning class that would require him to go to the Fort Collins Front Range campus for six hours per week of construction after work, and to commit to four hours’ homework on the internet. That is a considerable amount of commitment and I am so proud of him. I had to text him this morning that there will be no English classes available for him after all.

Please take some time to investigate what’s going on with this, and hopefully act now to do what you can to reverse the decision that has evidently been made.

Thanks!

MaryLou Smith

613 W. Mountain Avenue

970-222-9682

Founder, Hispanic Women’s Farming Proyecto www.proyectofarming.org

 

 

[mar...@hereandnowfarm.com]

Hello Representative Ginal.

My emails to Andrew Boesenecker and Cathy Kipp were returned as undeliverable. Is that because I used their state email addresses instead of personal ones? How can I get their personal email addresses?

What can you tell me about this unfortunate defunding of a critical program here in Larimer County?

Thanks, MaryLou Smith

[John Kefalas]

andrew.boese...@coleg.gov; cathy.ki...@coleg.gov

	John Kefalas County Commissioner, District 1
	Commissioners' Office 200 W Oak St | 2nd Floor PO Box 1190, Fort Collins, CO 80522-1190 W: (970) 498-7001 Cell:  (720) 254-7598 jkef...@larimer.org | www.larimer.org

[mar...@hereandnowfarm.com]

Thanks, John. MaryLou