The Festival of Nations: A Weekend of Color, Music, and Multiculturalism

     The air is bursting with the savory warmth of a plethora of grilled meats cooking, complemented by the airy aroma of flour and melting cheese blending to become freshly made Argentinian empanadas. Thousands of people are closely packed together into a throng of brilliant colors, succulent smells, and dense heat, admiring the variety of worldliness on display at the park. It is a cloudy, but comfortable August morning, and Tower Grove Park in St. Louis is alive with the bustle of the annual Festival of Nations. The Festival, which occurred this past Saturday and Sunday, is organized and hosted by the International Institute of St. Louis. It is a celebration of all nations worldwide, and the beauty of their cultures and people. As a part of LAMP’s outreach partnerships, LAMP was present at the Festival, aiding Health Protection and Education Services (HPES) of St. Louis, in raising awareness about its free monthly health screenings. Therefore, members of LAMP’s Outreach Team, and various interpreting language teams, were able to experience the event as both multicultural healthcare advocates, and decorated members of the local international community. 

        The Festival was a destination of nonstop merriment for all ages, from the hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It fulfilled its desire of being accommodating to all ages, by featuring several platforms of cultural exploration, which included: a family craft area featuring art projects and demonstrations from all over the world, three stage areas with live music and dance, several information booths from internationally oriented nonprofits in the community, an entire lane of international food stalls, shopping tents from all over the world, and many other unexpected giveaways from national corporations. The variety of options in entertainment and gastronomic pleasures that were available to attendees demonstrates the International Institute’s deep comprehension of the lively human spirit. Thus, the Festival captured more than a brief summary of each nation’s cultural surface; it became an arena of discovery for all of those who wished to peer into the soul of a multitude of international vignettes. It became the manifestation of a globalized world, that for a weekend, stopped orbiting violently, taking a step back to the days of handmade tradition, and expert workmanship.  

       One of the most important aspects in exploring the cultural backbone of any nation is an understanding of the ideals of community and their role in developing that nation. In accordance with this idea, LAMP was present at the Festival alongside our local partner HPES. HPES is a local nonprofit dedicated to providing thorough, high-standard healthcare to anyone in need. In the hopes of fulfilling its mission, HPES hosts a free, monthly health screening at the University City Public Library. These events provide attendees free access to a doctor and accompanying medical records for the visit. At the screening, patients are able to have various health assessments performed by the certified physician on duty, which include: blood pressure and cholesterol checks, a dental exam, a diabetes assignment, an EKG /Pulmonary Functions examination, a height and weight measurement, a pulse count, a stool exam, a skin assessment, a vision test, a glaucoma screening, and a hearing assessment. 

       In an effort to ensure that the international community was aware of these screenings, HPES and LAMP collaborated at the Festival, by passing out flyers to both festival attendees and booth participants. The flyers, which were available in multiple languages, informed readers about the healthcare assessments open to them at the event, in addition to the upcoming dates available for the remainder of the year, which are September 19^th, October 17^th, November 21^st, and December 12^th. Both HPES and LAMP were pleased with the resounding community support for the health screenings, which are expected to grow as a result of this collaborative outreach in the months to come. 

       In conclusion, after such a diverse and interactive weekend, we were left with this thought by Portuguese theorist Hélder Câmara, “Keep your language. Love its sounds, its modulation, its rhythm. But try to march together with men of different languages, remote from your own, who wish like you for a more just and human world.” And what, more than linguistic appreciation, and inclusion represents the Festival of Nations?  

This article was written by Andrea L., LAMP Portuguese interpreter.  

A Volunteer Opportunity for a Great Cause - MOMOM 2015

      

            On May 2-3 2014, the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Foundation hosted its annual “Missouri Mission of Mercy” event at Chaifetz Arena, in the heart of St. Louis University’s campus downtown. One thousand eighteen dedicated volunteers from various associations and cities in Missouri participated in this two day event that provided free dental services for any Missouri resident that was unable to partake in or afford dental care. The services provided ranged anywhere from routine dental cleanings and checkups to more extensive services such as: fillings, specified tooth extraction, crown implementation, and many more, that required the volunteer services of many skilled lab technicians and dental hygienists to ensure that the best level of care was being given to attendees.

                 The positive response from the community was overwhelming, expressed best by a woman who stated, “I have been in line since five forty this morning and got to the door at seven thirty. It was a long wait, but well worth it.”

                MOMOM’s success is not only owed to the Missouri Dental Association, but also to another independent foundation providing clinic equipment and logistics for the states to use called America’s Dentists Care Foundation. This organization oversees these events and allows each state full control on how charitable services are provided to those unable to pay. For these reasons, Missouri’s MOMOM event was a true display of genuine dedication to the cause of dental care state wide.

             
              Foundation and Outreach Director of the Missouri Dental Association Paul Roberts, is one of the primary organizers of MOMOM, and a large reason for the event’s ground breaking success. Mr. Roberts, whose passion for the MOMOM events is shown on his blog “A Mouthful”, stated that, “Numbers are impressive but behind each one is a person that was helped. Thanks!” This statement shows the characteristics of an event whose aim is the patient, rather than the organization’s overall success, and highlights the spirit of genuine human affection felt at the event. This attitude contributed greatly to the passion the volunteers felt while working, which translated directly to their patients.

              The nature of the event can be observed with a few statistics that demonstrate MOMOM’s “people first” approach towards providing health care. Over a period of two days, the event assisted 1,616 patients with varying dental problems, and provided $914,995.80 in free health care to treat these individuals. These services were provided by: 208 dentists, 103 dental hygienists, 151 dental assistants or students, 102 dental or hygiene students, one physician, 34 dental service technicians, 12 nurses, and eight interpreters, all of which said they would gladly participate again. The success of the event is not only measured by the number of patients or money raised, but also the extensive coverage it received in the media statewide. This was accomplished due to the 1,446,248 individuals who popularized the event through print, broadcast, and virtual advertisements. This coverage proves the old adage that if you treat people how you want to be treated, and the results you receive will be both positive and fruitful.

              
              As part of the statistics of who helped with what, one of the most seemingly out of place figures would be the eight interpreters present at the event. Of these eight interpreters, four of them were from our organization LAMP, who specializes in medical interpretation services, and volunteered all day on the second day of the event. These four dedicated interpreters began at the check in booth, ensuring that those speaking Spanish, Vietnamese, and Nepali, were able to find their respective ways throughout the crowded arena and to their treatment area in an orderly fashion. From there, each interpreter would accompany individual patients and interpret the processes of taking vitals, receiving an oral exam to determine necessary care, and what the doctor’s work would completely entail, all in their mother language. The interpreter would then remain with the patient and doctor until the process was complete to ensuring a healthy and comfortable recovery for the patient. These services were provided by LAMP to ensure that the language barrier between English speaking medical providers and non-English speaking patients was not an obstacle in healthcare being provided to those that needed it most.

              At LAMP, our mission is participate in events like these and take a direct role in aiding the St. Louis area and beyond in the areas of interpretation, translation, and multi-cultural tolerance and understanding. We not only specialize in medical interpretation visits, such as the services we provided at MOMOM, but are experienced in other areas such as legal and academic interpreting, and are happy to help the community in any means possible. Working with the Missouri Dental Association was a pleasure as well as a learning experience that we will take with us to grow as an organization. We will do so by acting as individuals wanting to make a difference in the world, one bilingual conversation at a time. If you are interested in seeing firsthand the direct impact of MOMOM on the St. Louis community, here are two YouTube links to view actual in person testimonials and pictures from the event: 

 http://youtu.be/eP3Tq3pmEOM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YxX6FGvi0

 

We invite any bilingual individuals in the Columbia area to volunteer for the 2015 MOMOM Event! 

For more information, visit the Missouri Dental Association’s website at: www.momom.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter at Missouri Dental Association and @MoDentalAssn. Learn more about LAMP at Lampinterpreters.org, on Facebook at LAMP Interpreters, and Twitter @LAMPSTL.

This article was written by Andrea L., Portuguese interpreter and intern at LAMP.