Opportunity/Oportunidad
Abel Pompa, #7, Celebrates 50 Years with Same Employer
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b e l Pompa is celebrating 50 years of employment with the same company! He is the Specialty Grocery Manager at Market Street, 50th & Indiana in Lubbock. Pompa who is a native of Levelland began his career as a sacker and worked in various capacities until 1969, when he moved to Lubbock. Abel came to the company when many migrant workers were being contracted to work in the South Plains. After he applied for the job, two days later the manager called
him to come work, and to start at 2 a.m. At first he questioned the 2 a.m. time, but then the manager explained that they needed him to come and interpret for migrant workers. Since then he has worked at various stores with his employer, and now uses his experience and tenure to mentor his co-workers. And over the years he even worked as a store director, gradually moving up, and holding various jobs. His team member number is lucky #7, where as other employee numbers start with 7. In many regards he believes that he has been lucky and blessed to work with an array of people from his peers to his customers. Abel is not quite ready for retirement. He continues to put 100 percent into his work, and for that we applaud him. Congratulations!
Through March 4, the world’s largest financial literacy program for girls in grades K-12 continues as local Girl Scouts sell cookies through direct sales to friends and family, door-to-door, and at local stores and supermarkets. This year, the 2012 Cookie Sale is even sweeter
because we are celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting. Cookie booths will offer eight cookies in a special 100th Anniversary packaging. All cookies are $3.50 per box, with all proceeds benefiting local Girl Scout troops. For more information on Cookies, the 100th Anniversary or how to join, volunteer or donate to the Girl Scouts, call 800-530-4957 or visit www.gs-top.org
Girl Scout Cookies Now Available
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Free Community Law School to be held in February
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he Community Law School will be presented by the Lubbock County Bar Association and the Texas Tech School of Law will be held at the Texas Tech School of Law over three consecutive Saturday mornings in February 2012. The sessions will start at 9 a.m. each Saturday, and all classes will be taught by either law professors or local attorneys. The conference is free to the public, and will include various law subjects. Topics by date and time include: Feb. 4th - 9 am, Health Law; 10 am, Social Security; and 11 am, Employment Law. Feb. 11th - 9 am, Divorce; 10 am, Protective Orders; and 11 am, Child Support. Feb. 18 - 9 am, Wills;
10 am, Living Wills/ Powers of A t t o r n e y/ Ad v a n c e d Directives; and 11 am Gu a rdia nships & Alternatives to Gu a rdia nship. An American Sign Language interpreter will be available. However, bilingual services will not be provided. Classes will be held at the Texas Tech School of Law located at 1802 Hartford, in the in the Lanier Auditorium.
Discrimination complaints reach all-time high
BY ALLISON LINN
he government received more T complaints of worker discrimination its last fiscal year than ever before, but it was only a slight increase over 2010. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that it received 99,947 complaints of worker discrimination during its 2011 fiscal year, which ended in September. That’s an increase of 25 complaints over the 2010 fiscal year. Discrimination complaints surged in the 2008 fiscal year, when the agency received 95,402 complaints as the Great Recession was getting under way. They number of complaints fell somewhat in 2009, the year the recession officially ended, but they rose again in 2010 as the economy was recovering slowly. Justine Lisser, a spokeswoman for the EEOC, said the agency can’t say for certain that the weak job market has caused the spike in complaints, although there may be a correlation. The unemployment rate remains unusually high, at 8.5 percent, more than two years after the recession of-
ficially ended and the economy began growing again. Lisser also noted the agency has been working harder to inform employees and employers about its claims process, and has made it easier to research claims criteria on its website. In 2011, about 35 percent of the workers complained of race discrimination, according to the EEOC. Gender discrimination accounted for about 29 percent of the complaints, while age discrimination complaints made up about 24 percent. About 26 percent charged employers with discriminating on the basis of a disability. Many people charge more than one form of discrimination, so the percentages exceed 100 percent. The government also said it resolved 112,499 complaints in fiscal year 2011. About 18 percent of those claims received a “merit resolution,” meaning the person received some sort of settlement. About two-thirds of those were found to have no reasonable cause for auction. Another 16 percent were closed for administrative reasons, such as that the person who charged discrimination didn’t respond to further requests from the EEOC. To report discrimination issues contact: 1-800-669-4000, 1-800669-6820 (TTY), or email info@ eeoc.gov
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Latino Lubbock Magazine is Hispanic Owned & Operated
Personal/Professional Development BASIC COMPUTER CLASSES IN SPANISH in Generation Online and the classes are free. We are located at Life Run 4902 34th St. Lubbock, TX. For information please call Deana Rosser 806-687-9732. CLASES BASICAS DE COMPUTACION EN ESPAÑOL Generations online y son gratis. Estamos localicados en Life Run 4902 34th St. Para mas informacion llamen a Deana Rosser 806-687-9732. FREE GED CLASSES with childcare for Lubbock and the surrounding area offered by the Lubbock Dream Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. You must be at least 17 years old and not enrolled in public school to be eligible for the classes. For more info call 806-7933336. General office hours are Mon. thru Thurs. from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. FREE GED AND ESL CLASSES for Lubbock and the surrounding area offered by Adult Education Center. We accept new students on a bi-monthly basis. You must be at least 17 years old and not enrolled in public school to be eligible for the classes. For more info call 806-281-5750. Open Mon. thru Fri. from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. CHILD CARE AVAILABLE FOR INCOME-ELIGIBLE FAMILIES Families who are income eligible may receive fee assistance to attend one of the Early Learning Center’s five centers for child care. Parents or caretakers must be employed or in school. The program is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (806) 765-9981 for more information. REFERRAL FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE in Lubbock by the South Plains Day Home Association helps parents with free referrals to licensed or registered day care facilities that are routinely monitored by the Texas Department and Protective Services. Call 796-0606 or 792-1847 for more information. FREE LITERACY PROGRAM offers assistance with reading, GED preparation, and English as a second language classes. Programs for individuals with a learning disability as well as one-on-one tutoring is also available. The programs are free. For more information please call (806) 775-3636. ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES Registration for free English as a second language (ESL) classes for adults are available on site at class locations, or by calling (806) 7753636, or in person at the Literacy Lubbock office in the Mahon Library. CLASES DE INGLÉS COMO SEGUNDA IDIOMA La Literacia de Lubbock (Literacy Lubbock) ofrecen clases gratis de inglés como segundo idioma (English as Second Language) para la comunidad. Todos los adultos están bienvenido en estas clases. Para más información, llame a (806) 775-3636. IMMIGRATION SERVICES If you need help with immigration issues call 806741-0409. SERVICIOS DE INMIGRACIÓN Si necesitan ayuda con asuntos de inmigración llame a este numero (806) 7410409. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY want to attend college or enroll in a vocational program, but lack finances? Apply at LEARN for federal and state aid programs. Call (806) 763-4256 for an appointment or come by 2161 50th Street. Services are FREE!! Email job training and personal development opportunities by the 21st, as well