The Original Tamale Festival

Dec. 8, 2016

Transcript:

THE U S DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDED FRIENDLY HOUSE TWO GRANTS PROVIDING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKFORCE PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH HERE IN THE VALLEY. THE ORGANIZATION IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH FOOD CITY FOR THE 2016 TAMALE FESTIVAL. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS MARTIN QUINTANA, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF FRIENDLY HOUSE. AND, SUSY FERRA, WITH FOOD CITY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING. MARTIN, I KNOW WE SAID WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE GRANTS FIRST BUT I SAW THE PICTURES OF THE TAMALES AND HAD TO TALK ABOUT FOOD. GIVE US THE HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL.

MARTIN QUINTANA: THE DINNER HAS BEEN IN OPERATION 81 YEARS. IT STARTED WAY BACK IN AN EFFORT FOR LOCAL FAMILIES TO HELP SUPPORT OUR SERVICES BY MAKING TAMALES AND SELLING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY IT WAS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE SERVICES AND IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 81 YEARS. THIS YEAR WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND PLEASURE TO WORK WITH FOOD CITY IN PARTNERING THE EVENT SO WE HAVE AN ONGOING FESTIVAL THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS ALONG WITH THE DINNER AND COMBINING THEM TOGETHER AND WE ARE HAPPY TO DO THIS AND HAVE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT

JOSE CARDENAS: WE WILL PUT ON THE SCREEN DATES AND TIMES LATER BUT WHEN WILL THIS OCCUR AND HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU EXPECT?

MARTIN QUINTANA: THIS HAPPENS DECEMBER 10TH AND 11TH. SATURDAY FROM 10 -6 AS WELL AS SUNDAY FROM 10-6. WE ARE HAVING A SPECIAL DINNER SESSION ON SATURDAY EVENING THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOWCASE OUR FRIENDLY HOUSE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AND WILL HAVE SPONSORS LIKE FOOD CITY THAT ARE MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. IT IS A FUNDRAISING EVENT TO SUPPORT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WE HAVE.

JOSE CARDENAS: SUSY TELL US ABOUT FOOD CITY'S INVOLVEMENT THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME; RIGHT?

SUSY FERRA: NO, THIS IS OUR 15TH ANNIVERSARY. WE FEATURE EVERY TYPE OF TAMALE FROM THE RED CHILE TO THE GREEN CHILE AS WELL AS THE SWEET TAMALES. IT IS FREE ADMISSION. WE CLOSE DOWN FIRST TO FOURTH AVENUE DOWN ON WASHINGTON AND WE HAVE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS AND CRAFTS AND A LOT OF TAMALES.

JOSE CARDENAS: HOW MANY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

SUSY FERRA: I AM GOING TO SAY WE SOLD OVER 7,000 TAMALES LAST YEAR.

JOSE CARDENAS: I HAVE VERY MIXED CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF TAMALES. I LOVED TO EAT THEM BUT HAD TO MAKE THEM. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE WORKING?

SUSY FERRA: WE HAVE OUR OWN FOOD CITY BOOTH AND WE HAVE OVER 18 BOOTHS THAT INCLUDE LOCAL CHURCHES IN PHOENIX THAT WILL BE PROVIDING AND SELLING TAMALES AS WELL.

JOSE CARDENAS: MARTIN, TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AT FRIENDLY HOUSE A LITTLE BIT MORE. THIS EVENT HELPS THEM.

MARTIN QUINTANA: YEAH, SO WE HAVE SEVERAL PROGRAMS ABOUT NINE OR TEN DIFFERENT AREAS. WE ARE FOCUSED ON WORKERS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES. WE HAVE PRE K SERVICES, K TO 8 EDUCATION, WORKERS DEVELOPMENT, CAREER PATH AND CAREER ASSESSMENT AND HELP YOU FIND JOBS AND TRAINING AND WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT SERVICES COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS BASIC FOOD BOXES TO UTILITY ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS HOMECARE SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY. WE TRY TO FOCUS ON THE SERVICE CHANNELS OF ADULT EDUCATION, TRAINING, WORKFORCE AND HUMAN SERVICES AS WELL AS ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

JOSE CARDENAS: SUSY, FOOD CITY IS TARGETED AT THE HISPANIC MARKET IS THAT PART OF THE RATIONAL FOR BEING INVOLVED?

SUSY FERRA: WELL WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. HELPING THE HISPANIC MARKET IS ALWAYS A PLUS. KNOWING FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION HISPANICS ARE OUR CORE SHOPPERS SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE OUR DISPLAYS OF TAMALES AT THE STORE LEVEL BUT WE ARE ABLE TO FEATURE THIS TYPE OF FESTIVAL TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE GENERAL MARKET AS WELL.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BROADER COMMITMENT FOOD CITY HAS TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THIS.

SUSY FERRA: WE ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT EVERY ORGANIZATION SUCH AS FRIENDLY HOUSE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. AND ALWAYS TRYING TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.

JOSE CARDENAS: NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE FEDERAL GRANTS, CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT. YOU HAVE TWO NEW ONES.

MARTIN QUINTANA: YES WE DO. I HAVE BEEN THERE ALMOST A YEAR AS THE CEO AND IT HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR. A FEW HIGHLIGHTS IS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WE RECEIVED AND WERE AWARDED TWO GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO THE TUNE OF TWO MILLION DOLLARS. THESE GRANTS HELP SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY YOUNG ADULTS FROM 16 TO 24 IN THE AREAS OF ADULT TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SO WE ARE HELPING WITH JOB PLACEMENT AND TRAINING IN THE AREAS OF JUSTICE FIELDS, POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIREFIGHTERS, EMT, AND CONSTRUCTION FIELD. SO IT IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY YOUNG ADULTS TO PICK A CAREER OR SOMETHING THEY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO AND FIND WAYS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES BY WAY OF, FOR EXAMPLE, ASSISTANT CHILDCARE OR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES THIS GRANTS ALLOWS US TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY AS WELL.

JOSE CARDENAS: WHEN DOES IT KICKOFF?

MARTIN QUINTANA: WE RECEIVED THE GRANT ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO AND THERE IS A FOUR MONTH PLANNING PHASE AND WE WILL START RECRUITING INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM THIS MONTH AND IN JANUARY. THE SECOND GRANT FOR CONSTRUCTION WILL KICKOFF AROUND FEBRUARY OR MARCH. SO THE FIRST OF THE YEAR WE ARE LOOK AT KICKING IT OFF.

JOSE CARDENAS: WHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENTS ARE THERE FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM?

MARTIN QUINTANA: WE ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG ADULTS THAT ARE DISCONNECTED YOUTH. INDIVIDUALS THAT AGAIN FROM THE AGES OF 16 TO 24 THAT ARE NOT IN SCHOOL OR DON'T HAVE A JOB. SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET THEM BACK INTO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM BY WAY OF GED OR GOING BACK TO SCHOOL TO GET THE DIPLOMA. AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE PROVIDING TRAINING FOR THESE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO, REALLY, THE AGE IS ONE CATEGORY, THEY DO HAVE TO BE BETWEEN 16 AND 24 YEARS OLD AND BE IN AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION OR FIND A CAREER AND GET TRAINING THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO SERVE.

JOSE CARDENAS: HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS?

MARTIN QUINTANA: BETWEEN THE TWO GRANTS WE ARE LOOKING AT 250 INDIVIDUALS WE WILL BE HELPING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.

JOSE CARDENAS: THE TAMALES ARE AVAILABLE YEAR AROUND BUT THIS IS THE SEASON?

SUSY FERRA: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE SEASON FOR TAMALE MAKING AND OF COURSE BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS ALL FAMILIES GET TOGETHER NOT ONLY TO MAKE TAMALES AND THEIR OWN ASSEMBLY LINE AND MAKE A FIESTA OUT OF IT BUT NOT ONLY THAT THAT IS THE REASON WE CELEBRATE THE TAMALE FESTIVAL AROUND THIS TIME AS WELL. SO SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AGAIN FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M. AND ON SUNDAY WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TAMALE TASTING CONTEST AND WE HAVE CELEBRITY JUDGES AT 2:30 TO FEATURE THE BEST TAMALE OF 2016.

JOSE CARDENAS: THAT SOUNDS GREAT. ONE LAST VERY QUESTION AND IMPORTANT TOPIC. THE MEXICAN AMBASSADOR WAS HERE LAST WEEK AND YOU MET WITH HIM. TELL US ABOUT THAT DISCUSSION.

MARTIN QUINTANA: HE WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION ISSUES IN ARIZONA AND THE UNITED STATES ALONG WITH TRADE ISSUES. HE WANTED TO GET IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND CALLED UPON THE COMMUNITY WITH HOW WE HELP THE AMBASSADOR IN MEXICO FOR THE EFFORTS WE NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY. GREAT MEETING AND GREAT DISCUSSION WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANT FAMILIES COMING INTO THE U.S.

JOSE CARDENAS: SO, FRIENDLY HOUSE HAS A HISTORY ON IMMIGRATION AND I ASSUME YOU WILL BE GETTING INQUIRIES COMING UP. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US. GOOD LUCK ON THE TAMALE FESTIVAL.

SUSY FERRA: THANK YOU.