As more Spanish-speaking people come to Champaign-Urbana, more public institutions are becoming bilingual.

"I was called to Carle (Hospital) in the middle of the night 10 years ago. There was a Mexican who had a high fever and they couldn't get it down. The nurses were very concerned but he couldn't explain what was wrong," said Hugh Phillips, director of El Centro por Los Trabajadores (The Center for Workers). "I went over there with a friend and we got him to explain it to us. Then we explained it to the nurse. He had infectious herpes."

The incident could have been deadly, but having interpreters there helped save his life.

El Centro began working with health issues that affected Latinos, and addressed other issues as needed.

"Something has to be done. The invisible (Latino population) has become visible," said Giraldo Rosales, Champaign City Council member and director of La Casa Cultural Latina.

"All of the places in town need more bilingual workers," Phillips said.

Rosales said Champaign is a place where Latinos would want to raise their kids; the availability of high-level education gives Latino children upward mobility. Moving away from Chicago means they are also moving away from inner-city gangs and drugs, Rosales said.

Lucia Maldonado, the parent liaison at Champaign School District 4, is in charge of finding interpreters to communicate with parents and translators to interpret notes sent home by the teachers.

"I don't have two days that are the same," Maldonado said. "Every day gets better because more teachers are trying hard to get notes translated into Spanish."

At one elementary school, there are 100 students enrolled in the English as a Second Language class whose parents need interpreters and translators.

"I work with the families to keep the communication open," Maldonado said.

ESL services are available at three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in Champaign.

All registration forms are also in Spanish for families new to the district.

Maldonado's children attend Urbana schools where she said there is a great need for a parent liaison.

"I can see the (Urbana) schools are really struggling," Maldonado said. "My son is in kindergarten there. Sometimes I help translate notes, but I don't have much time. Some parents call me to ask what's going on because they know I speak English."

Parents with students in Champaign schools also call her to ask where to find services outside of the school district.

"I usually have a good number of resources for them to call," Maldonado said.

La Comunidad Unida provides services for children in the Shadowwood Mobile Home community. Rosales said the program provides homework tutors, computer help and hosts a recreation program during the summer.

Maldonado works closely with the children at Shadowwood. If they are struggling, she will talk to the school and share information.

Guadalupe Abreu, who has worked at East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center for four years, said she saw the need for translation help in the Latino community.

"Some people come here without documents and have to learn the culture and language," Abreu said.

The refugee center, 302 S. Birch St., works to provide orientation, counseling, family unification, citizen applications, special needs for refugees and a newsletter in four languages as well as ESL classes and family support.

"We give support by working with different agencies," Abreu said. "If they need an interpreter they will call us and we will go."

Many businesses need interpreters, including dental offices, clinics and legal services, she said.

Maricela Arce, an employee in the adult services department of the Champaign Public Library, said library staff members also have noticed an increase in the Latino population. They received a grant called "Libros y Famillias" in November 2001 from the Library Services and Technology Act.

The grant allows Latinos to pick up books, El Informador and other materials in Spanish, she said.

"There are Spanish books, videos and CDs. Everything available in English is also in Spanish," said Arce, who was the Latino services coordinator until May 2002, when she moved to the adult services desk.

Arce said it is important for Latinos to have someone they can express their concerns to, enabling them to find more information.

The library offers many services for Latino patrons including brochures in Spanish, a Spanish version of its Web site, programs for Latino children and Internet and catalog classes in Spanish, she said.

One service offered for children is the bookmobile that goes to Shadowwood on Monday afternoons and Marujuita's Small World School on Friday mornings.

"More public facilities have the need to hire interpreters," Arce said.

At Provena Covenant Medical Center, services are offered for those who call or come into the hospital in need of health care.

"Whenever we have someone call in, they use the language line," said Ellen Cole, director of marketing. "It's a three-way call with a certified interpreter."

Cole said that all interpreters have to be certified in health care. Interpreters come into the hospital if needed.

"Since there is no position that hires for bilinguals, we don't track (the number of bilinguals employed)," Cole said.

All employment forms are available in several languages to employees who do not speak English.

"There is a danger if you don't know the rules and regulations — not only because you could cause harm to yourself, but to others," Rosales said. "You need to know what to do in case of an emergency."

Phillips said he encourages businesses such as Carle Hospital and Provena Covenant Medical Center to hire bilingual workers when they have an opening, adding that some hospitals have already hired bilingual doctors.

"There have been issues with Spanish translations in medical care," Rosales said. "There was a woman who was taking pills but felt worse than before. The bottle said take one tablet, once a day. In Spanish the word 'once' means 11, so she was taking 11 pills a day."

In the past, the many employees in hospitals and stores could not help Latinos because of the language barrier, he said.

"They were sort of neglected … when they would go to a clinic, people would ignore them," Philips said. "Now they will call an interpreter … (but) it disrupts service," Phillips said.

Rocio Arroyave, employee in medical records at Carle Hospital, took a course to become certified as an interpreter.

Once certified, interpreters go where they are needed in the hospital.

"It makes a person feel better when they know someone is looking out for their best interest," said Arroyave. "They don't feel intimidated."