Spanish is the first language for 17 percent of families with children in Amherst schools. "That doesn't capture (the numbers) who don't have children in the schools," said Health Director Julie Federman.
AMHERST - While 73 percent of the town is white, the number of Spanish speakers is growing, said Health Director Julie Federman.
Amherst "is an international community. (There are) so many different types of people," she said. There is a large group from El Salvador as well as Puerto Rico.
Spanish is the first language for 17 percent of families with children in Amherst schools. "That doesn't capture (those) who don't have children in the schools," she said.
And many of those people who speak little or no English don't know where to get services they might need that are already available to help them, she said.
With $54,000 of a $60,000 Town Meeting appropriation for social services, the town is looking to establish a Latino community food program. The town has issued a request for proposals with a deadline of Feb. 13.
"When we look at food access (it) is a real issue, getting to a grocery store, getting to an affordable grocery store can be really challenging," Federman said.
The program would give people that access. In some cases, people might not know where to go, an issue that could be addressed by making more information available in Spanish or other languages, she said.
Part of the grant is to help assess the need and to look at why people aren't using available programs, such as meals at the Amherst Survival Center, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Federman said people might feel there's a stigma attached to asking about services, but may be more responsive to information in their own language.
The town won't create new programs but look at "how we move forward to expand what we already have," she said.
Officials want to "come up with materials that aren't time-sensitive," she said. They want them to be "culturally appropriate, making our community more accessible for folks whose English is not their first language."
Federman said Amherst is a caring community but a bifurcated one. She said about 50 percent of the population is highly educated with access to housing and health care and unaware of those who don't have it. The other half isn't sure how government works and is less visible.
About 44 percent of the Amherst schools population receives free or reduced lunch.