The Ana A. Brito Foundation was born out of a sheer desire to serve and educate new immigrants. The foundation offers a plethora of services such as English classes (language program), computer programs, tutoring services, health and wellness among other things. Marta Brito Perez, Ana Brito’s daughter and the president of the foundation said about the language program that it was a “lifelong passion for mom and for Pastora Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz.” For this month’s newsletter, I spoke with Pastora Yolanda who shared with us about her journey to the United States, partnership with Ana Brito as well as how the foundation came into being:

I am a United Methodist pastor who came from Cuba to the United States in the decade of the sixties. Ana Brito, also from Cuba, and I met in 1983 and from that time on we became partners in our common desire to serve the immigrant community in the area. With the help of other church leaders, we began holding worship services in Spanish at the Bethesda United Methodist Church in Bethesda. Among our activities, we included first, Spanish classes for the children, and English classes for the adults. In order to reach out to the larger immigrant population of the county, under Ana’s leadership, the English program was offered in different locations of the county, including Epworth United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg, where the program is located today and where in collaboration with the church we became the Ana A Brito Foundation. 

Today the foundation serves the diverse population who reside in Montgomery County; the majority of the learners who attend classes are from Spanish-speaking countries. In addition, the foundation also serves students from Iran, Thailand, Korea, Liberia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Nigeria among other countries. The teachers and volunteers also represent a diverse group. Majority of the learners are women, many who are mothers with small children. While the parents are in class, the school-age children participate in the Children’s Enrichment Program which includes tutoring, childcare, and educational/creative activities. 

When I asked Pastora Yolanda what she would like for people to know about the Ana Brito foundation, she said: 

The most important message we want to give to our community is that we are here to serve the immigrant community. We are here to welcome and enable them to adjust to the country by learning the culture and especially the language. With an open arm, we are here and ready to receive the gifts they bring through their cultures, traditions, and skills.

When learners are able “ to understand something their neighbors said for the first time ” or comprehend what “ their children have learned ” at school then that is a marker of success for the language program, Pastora Yolanda noted.