Is sharing of languages the key to a more inclusive society? - Argus Courier
As many Sonoma County residents remember, in the fall of 2017 fire devoured whole neighborhoods in Santa Rosa and beyond. Petaluma Fairgrounds was designated as an evacuation center where people from around the county could take shelter as they waited anxiously for the crisis to ease.
“There was a plethora of needs,” Carolyn Bouchard recalls. “Food, shelter, blankets, clothing, medicines, and interpreters.”
A professional Spanish-language interpreter, Bouchard runs a company called Ditto Interpreters in East Petaluma. During the fire, she leapt into action, reaching out to other interpreters in the region to volunteer at the evacuation center. Many people staying there were Spanish speakers.