Language Services Associates Aids Volunteer Interpreters in Houston Assisting Those Affected by Harvey
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.
Contacts
Language Services Associates
Starla Keith, 800-305-9673 X55315
Executive
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
marketing@lsaweb.com
