For many new immigrants in America, life without a working knowledge of English can be a constant hardship and struggle. Daily communication is oftentimes difficult and the language barrier can hinder opportunities. Gail Georgeson, with Intercambio de Comunidades, addresses this issue through her volunteer work.

Founded in 2001, Intercambio de Comunidades organizes classes for hundreds of immigrants to learn English in a friendly environment. Originally created to help immigrants from Latin America, the organization has since grown to accommodate immigrants from all over the world.

Georgeson volunteers as an English teacher and instructs a class with a curriculum she developed by herself. She started teaching at Intercambio de Comunidades to gain experience for her own education and quickly received extremely positive feedback from her students. Georgeson soon began to lead workshops and expand resources for other teachers. Although she admitted the work to be very challenging, she said, "the most enjoyable part is building relationships with the students."

As she and all the volunteers at Intercambio de Comunidades work to bring the community closer together, Georgeson continues to take pleasure in her volunteer work, from the satisfaction of helping someone else to the nice surprise of running into a former student outside the classroom.

For information about volunteering with Intercambio de Comunidades or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.