Language should not be a barrier to receiving food assistance. The Foodbank is now offering free resources to assist food pantries and hot meal sites in communicating with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) clients. Limited English Proficiency refers to individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English.
Affordable Language Services is a telephone translation service that is provided at no cost to the client or to your agency.
This service is provided in more than 150 languages, 24 housr a day, seven days a week. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks provides this service for use by an emergency food pantry or hot meal program that is a member of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
To use Affordable Language Services:
- Call 866.350.2971 and enter the password 4394.
- When they ask for the phone number, use 614.221.4336.
- Provide your last name and the correct spelling of your last name.
- Provide the language to the service for which you need interpretation. If you do not know the language you need, ask the interpreter coordinator to help you.
- You will then be connected with an interpreter.
- Speak to the customer in the first person DIRECTLY.
- Give the Interpreter specific questions to relay.
- There will always be pauses while the Interpreter repeats each statement in the respective language.
When you are finished, simply thank the Interpreter and disconnect the call. For more information, click here or contact Jill Oldham, Director, Programs & Member Services, at 330.777.7574 or joldham@acrfb.org.