HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Local interpreters in the Texas area have combined their efforts with interpreters throughout the country and surrounding borders to help local aid relief, government and emergency workers communicate with limited English speaking residents. Due to a need for a greater number of less common languages among Harvey victims, Language Services Associates, Inc. (LSA) has volunteered to assist.
Arturo Bobea, a Spanish medical interpreter residing in Pennsylvania who independently contracts with LSA, and who is volunteering his services in this catastrophic event reached out to LSA for help. “We have formed a group of volunteer interpreters that are assisting with the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. We've had an amazing response and volunteers are pouring in, but we seem to have difficulty finding qualified interpreters in languages of limited diffusion (languages that are not spoken widely). Would LSA be willing to help?”
Volunteer Language Interpretation (VLI), the name of the group of interpreters that Bobea refers to was initially started by Houston interpreter and locally known actress and activist, Angeles Romero. Romero began volunteering on her own in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, working with FEMA and the Red Cross. Realizing how great the need was, she then posted a call for help on social media and volunteers like Bobea answered the call, along with over 350 other interpreters in various languages.
Initially Bobea was only hoping that LSA would reach out to the interpreters in their network who might want to volunteer. Instead, LSA quickly provided a dedicated Toll-Free Number for VLI to call when they needed interpreters in languages that they themselves were not able to provide. LSA is providing access to telephone interpreting, free-of-charge, allowing the VLI group to continue their efforts in assisting Texas residents in communicating with people and groups, providing much needed aid in this crisis.
As the United States braces for hurricane Irma to hit, the services of both VLI and LSA will be needed more than ever.
About LSA
Language Services Associates (LSA) offers a full suite of language interpretation solutions to help optimize the experience of limited English proficient customers and patients. Providing native language support improves the efficiency and productivity of staff, raises customer satisfaction levels, and builds loyalty. For more than 2,000 clients worldwide, in more than 230 languages, LSA provides a competitive differentiator in the healthcare, government, financial, insurance, banking, entertainment, hospitality and manufacturing industries.
Founded in 1991, LSA has a strong reputation for helping our clients build relationships, ensure accuracy, and make trusted connections with their limited English proficient customers and patients. As one of the largest and fastest-growing professional language services companies in the world, LSA’s passion for helping others drives our award-winning culture of service excellence. For more information on LSA’s Interpreting by Telephone, Face-to-Face Interpreting, Video Remote Interpreting, American Sign Language, and Translation and Language Assessments services, please call 800.305.9673 or visit www.lsaweb.com.