Giving Back: Speak Up at the San Ramon Library

Every two weeks you’ll find a lively conversation going on in the cozy comfort of the . You’ll hear a cacophony of languages, a little Russian here, a little Spanish there, some Chinese, and lots of English too. And there you’ll meet some of the most interesting people in our town. 

There’s Olga Ostroumova of Belarus, and Kun Fu Chien from Taiwan and Maria Elena Won Chang from Peru, among others. Ostroumova was a programmer back in Belarus. Her husband got a job here and they moved. They have a young daughter, whom Ostroumova is taking care of at home. She hopes to return to work in the fall. “I come to practice my English,” she said. Chang’s grandparents have lived in San Ramon for several years and after seven years of trying, her mother got a green card and so she and her mom and sister came to the U.S. A perky graphic designer, Maria is working now at a local pizzeria to save money to attend college.

Chien has lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades, raised his now adult children and became a citizen. “They asked me why I wanted to come to America,” he said, thinking back to when he was an executive chef in a five star hotel in Taiwan and applied to come here. “And I said, ‘I love America.’ I want to get my children a good education.” A bit of a jokester with a sense of humor, Chien joined the conversation group to help regain some of the language skills he lost after being accosted.

These are our neighbors.   

Twice a month they come to improve their fluency and pronunciation in English, with help from San Ramon Library Adult Services chief Carol Yuke and volunteers like Jennifer Ditmer, a former speech pathologist who likes to give back in this way and lives in San Ramon.  “It’s so rewarding,” Ditmer said.

“We’re being a little informal tonight,” said Yuke as she welcomed with a smile the evening’s conversation seekers and volunteers at the Montgomery Street library. “Tell us about yourself.”

This is a wonderful opportunity to give back that doesn’t require many hours or special skills, just a friendly spirit and a commitment to come regularly and get to know and converse with new neighbors. The sessions are free and are held for from 6:45-7:45 p.m. from January through June. There are only a couple more this season but you can drop by and see if it’s a fit for you.

The next sessions at the Dougherty Station Library on Bollinger Canyon Road are on May 21st, June 4 and June 18th; and the San Ramon Library on Montgomery Street holds its last sessions of the year on June 11 and 25. Yuke and Stephen Ginochio of the Dougherty Station Library would like volunteers who can commit to come regularly.

If you are involved in a group in need of volunteers, please post them on San Ramon Patch. It’s quick and easy and a great way to get the word out. We’re also always looking for what we call our Give 5 partners. Patch editors volunteer in their communities. So help us help you. Email me at marcia@patch.com.