Audio transcription
Jaime Sr
Giselle: [00:00:00] Hey guys, it's Giselle Rivera-Flores here, author of hispanicish.com. Thank you for always following along and keeping track of all the articles. I am honored to be here with my father-in-law, Jaime Flores. We wanna talk about community and we wanna talk about something exciting that's happening this Friday, April 18th, here in Western Massachusetts.
So I will allow him to introduce. Himself. Go ahead, grandpa.
Jaime: Thank you Giselle. I really appreciated that you invited me to your house. So this family interview is very nice of you and thank you. Thank you very much.
Giselle: Yeah, always. So this is so exciting because for one, you're my father-in-law, so now we get to pass by a place that's happening on Friday.
You wanna tell us more about what's happening on Friday that we can have other community members come out and support.
Jaime: On Friday, it will be an honorary street in my name at our Friday 18 at 1:00 PM nine 10 Main Street to be exact. [00:01:00] And it's an honor for me that after so many years the city basically congratulate me for the things that I did.
And I did it. I did it just because, my conscious tell me, help people do something for other people that is is really in need. And that's what I did. And, it was very nice and I'm happy.
Giselle: I bet you are. So if you caught that, what he said was, we are having an honorary street naming event and a celebration on April 18th at 1:00 PM on the corner of Hawthorne and Main Street.
And it's right over by the radio station. And it's important mostly because Grandpapa had a really long career at that radio station and did some really innovative and advanced and innovative things here in the city, but also an advancement for our people from the Hispanic community. Do you wanna tell me more about what your work here in the city and also some of the work you've done for the [00:02:00] marathons?
Jaime: I was a social worker for many years. Did a lot of work at the radio station as a volunteer, like for almost 20 years. We created the first Spanish show called LA Was De Pueblo. And and we make it raw and we attract the people because it was nothing we absolutely nothing. So we started with a Venezuelan kid that was a Clark student.
And the music. At the beginning, it was only Colombian and Venezuelan. Finally, we find a guy that was alro and we get into the salsa. That's the way to attract people and that's how we, keep it going until I left. And at the same time as when I start doing the Boston Marathon I did many Boston marathons as a bandit, which means without number.
Okay. But then I say after that I say what the hell? Basically because I was born I was raised in such a poverty that it, it is in my mind and you will stilt end on [00:03:00] my days. But then I say, I think that it is, I see in a social worker, I saw so many poverty and trash and all this stuff, and especially in Main South at the time.
I said, I start seeing people with substance abuse issues, people hunger people, no place to live. Kids that need the GED and didn't have the money. You mentioned it. I said, oh my God, and I didn't see anyone with any agency or doing anything. So I said hey, let me try to do something.
And basically I just. Approach the CEO or the manager or those type of agencies. And I told him, listen, I'm willing to do the marathon for that program, this program, whatever programs that you're running you guys collect the money, you take care of it. I just do the marathon. And most of them agree.
And I really appreciate it. And that's how I got with my, you need contacts and this thing, so I got my. [00:04:00] My high profile contacts team Maori Congressman McGovern, all of them jump into an action and help me. So that was excellent. And I got the energy, I got everything that I need in God and we did it.
Giselle: Yeah. So tell me, what are some of the agencies that you helped raise money for?
Jaime: Oh my God. I got the Peep shelter. I got the Family Social Service Center. I got Community health, I got the Greater Valley Health Center. I got an activity school. I got many more. I just don't remember the names right now, but it was probably like 15 agencies or so.
Giselle: Yeah. Or
Jaime: maybe more.
Giselle: And how many marathons did you run in, in the name of an agency
Jaime: for then of then I did it twice. School boys and Girls Club. I did it. Two, the Martos for them. The other ones I just did one. The Hector Reyes. Hector Reyes [00:05:00] was an exit. We, it was a day, days before they opened and they collect so much money, which was the idea.
So I was happy. I was happy. I see that these agencies, I was mostly happy when the kids that went to school. This social services center, something like that, to get the GED. So they went through all the classes and all the stuff, but it was a hundred bucks with the final test, and later of them didn't have the money.
And I found some of them, they told me, I, I can't do that because I don't have the money. So I said, no issue, man. I do the marathon for you guys. And I did. And we got a lot of kids that got the GED. That's awesome.
Giselle: I know that when we're walking around and we go out to eat, which we do all the time, and we go certain places, people always recognize you and they say, oh, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be where I am. Or, I remember you helped my mom and that helped us when we were young because we [00:06:00] didn't have much. Or, I got my GED because of the program that you did or you helped raise money for. What does that mean to you?
Like when you, people in community and they're better off because you ran 26 miles and raised some money.
Jaime: What it means to me? It, it means to me that I did my purpose, that I was looking for something like that. And from my point of view, it wasn't that much, but it was something.
It could be five people, 10 people, 20 people, whoever. I didn't care about the number. I just said, these people need help. I gonna help him. And so when I see them after so many years already and they recognize me. And they say, Jaime, thank you for this. Thank you for that. It's it makes my heart happy
Giselle: as it should.
I think that when we're in community, it's always important to think of people outside ourselves, and you've dedicated your life to do that and dedicated your life to helping individuals [00:07:00] that are in situations that. They're just looking for a hand up. They just need a little help just to get to the next level.
Exactly. And it's not something that should be stigmatized. It should be what we should all be doing. We should all be helping everyone whenever we can because that one little GED took them to the next level and they might have gone to college and you know that a hundred dollars was a barrier. That could have created and perpetuated the entire poverty cycle.
And you were able to break that for them,
Jaime: especially so many years ago. A hundred bucks was a hundred bucks.
Giselle: A hundred bucks. I know a hundred bucks now. Grandpa's $15, a hundred bucks cup of
Jaime: coffee or something too. Great.
Giselle: Oh my goodness. I'm excited for this. And then. Talking about community, how can people in community give back to their community?
Because there's so many ways that you can give back, and I think that oftentimes people think that giving back means giving monetary money, right? Like you're, oh, here's a check, or Here's money for this, and I wanna support by giving funds for [00:08:00] program. But you've been able to find a very creative way to provide funds for programming and still impact people without it coming out of your pocket.
So there's no startup cost, right? It's like a idea that took more effort and time than it did money. So what are your, like what's your advice for other community members that wanna help and give back, but don't have the money or the means to do
Jaime: unfortunately, we live in a world that they so divided and I, I always says, you wanna help the people next to you help your community.
And I know that a lot of people will see what I just mentioned, the homeless, they see the substance abusers and they just say, oh, just leaving there young, I'm going to my house. I don't care about them. And that to me personally is not being a human being. Human beings are, we are here to help each other as much as we can, and.[00:09:00]
The only as you say, we know what I'm asking people to do in the near future is, you don't have to give money if you don't have it. If you have it that'd be great, but if you don't, just be a volunteer. Help people in the hospital help people with substance abuse.
Usually time in a positive way. Maybe we can change things because otherwise we are going to help. That's basically what's gonna happen, if nobody's doing, the millionaires are just getting the billions of dollars and the rest of the people, yes. Hardly surviving. What does that means to me?
Doesn't make sense whatsoever. So I always, it is with the thing that you know. Human beings have to be human beings and help each other do something for somebody else. And that's what I'm asking the people now to do, because I probably was the first one or some of the first [00:10:00] ones, but I don't want to be the last one.
I want some people to follow my legacy or follow another legacy, whatever you do, but do something that satisfy you. Not you personally, but just, Hey, I need something for somebody. And that's. Basically what it counts.
Giselle: Yeah, I love that. So our bigger purpose in life is to help others.
And I do believe in that. I think that you're a hundred percent correct. We are going to help because things are not looking well. But what's really nice is that sometimes while the world's on fire, we can look to our own community and see people helping each other. And I think that those little efforts that people put in really help.
Not only give hope, but it shows that there's still good in humanity, right? Like we still have good people in the world and sometimes the negativity seems like it's everywhere. But then, you look at your own community and you're like, oh, but we have food fridges, things to Maria River Valley and we have, this.
And we have people that are helping and we [00:11:00] have, you mentioned Congressman McGovern. We have our elected officials that are fighting like hell in our state to protect us and make sure that we have snap for individuals, we have housing and all those great things. So I think that you definitely are a trailblazer because you are very humble, but you've done more than just marathons.
You mentioned a little bit about hosting the first radio. Show, right? What was the name of it?
Jaime: Pueblo.
Giselle: What was it?
Jaime: La. Oh,
Giselle: la. So for my English speakers, it's the voice of our town or our city. Oh. The voice of our people. Or our voice of our people, right? Depending on how you translate that, which we're gonna segue into something funny in a minute, about talking about translation, but.
That's just one of the things that he's done. I think of the Latin Festival, which is a big cultural piece of this city continues to, I did festival
Jaime: for 26 years.
Giselle: 26 years. My goodness. And I always say they need him back so they can get a little oomph back in their [00:12:00] musical selection, but, I digress.
But yeah, there's so much work that you have done Americas when it was starting. There's just. So much, and I'm grateful for it because it gives not only our people a voice, but it allows people like our grand, your grandchildren, my children, to now say, oh, I identify as a Latina or Latino, or a Hispanic person.
And I know that we are very capable of doing anything that we want because of people like her, like grandpa.
Jaime: Then again, I will say that to the present generation, we are, I am the old generation. Many of the things have passed already, but the present generation the parents like you, is to tell your kids, be decent.
Be a human being, good human being. And especially education. Educ is the key for everything. Yes. Without it, nobody's gonna move. Nobody's gonna move. Somebody probably would say it's so hard to get [00:13:00] into college or whatever. College nowadays, community college are free and if you wanna be a lawyer student as you are, it needs a little bit more resources.
And I you always saying things, it should be an agency or something that all these funds that can provide for people that is, hey. I got all the, that needed for me to, and going to college, but I don't have the money. I would like to see something like that. I don't know if it's gonna happen.
Yeah. But anyway, educate your kids to be good human beings. To be good with people, to treat people with respect, no matter the situation. And just start for them,
Giselle: yeah. I second that and I approve that message to all the parents listening. Make sure that your children know to be kind and uplift other people and not be judgmental like grandpa says.
I think those are great words of wisdom and great words to live by. And speaking of words, we go out to dinner, like I said all the time. [00:14:00] Grandpa's always with us and we say things that are very different and we laugh about them, and grandpa if you haven't noticed, is from Colombia. From Bogota, yeah.
Colombia. Born, raised, and then is a naturalized citizen here in, in the states. So long journey but is a big contributor to our states. Now I am from Puerto Rico, but I am from New York. So people consider me like a new Rican, right? And we laugh all the time because we say things that are different.
So we came up with our top 10 things that Puerto Ricans and Colombians say that are completely different, but they mean the same thing. So I'm gonna say in English, and then Grandpa's gonna say his version, and then I'm gonna say my version. Okay. All right, here we go. Number one, straws.
Completely different words. Bus.
Jaime: Bus.
Giselle: Wawa. We say. Wawa. Yeah, I understand. Wawa, Alia. Cowboy [00:15:00] we say orange. The fruit. We say chin, and I don't know why we say chin. Some of us do say that, aha. But many of us say chin and we should stop saying that. Hang out
Jaime: hang out that gonna be, or something like that.
Giselle: We say hang. And I will tell you right now that my grandmother would crucify me if I say hang. 'cause she would say.
But I know growing up I used to say hang a lot. Money
Jaime: ro
Giselle: chavos
a traffic jam. This is the craziest one. What's a traffic jam?
It is a tap. There's a serious tap happening. There's traffic everywhere. It's a tap. Tapon. How about country folks? These are the people that live on the countryside of our countries. What do you call them?
Jaime: Campesinos,
Giselle: we call 'em he bottles. [00:16:00] And for us, there's a whole thing, right? He bottles, they have a certain hair style, they have a certain outfit, they have a certain camp campesinos, and
Jaime: it's different name, but it means the same.
Giselle: They're our older generation that live and grow and thrive in our country areas outside of the city. And then ultimately we have smells bad. When something smells bad, what do you say? We say fall.
We don't even need three words. We just say fall. Or we have a disgusting look on our face. And then lastly, our last word is lies. We also say, but what's even better is say, we say,
and if a person's a liar, they're an,
this has been fun going through our top 10 words that are different from Puerto Rico and Colombia. And again, for everyone who is either listening or going to read this article, please show up on April 18th at 1:00 PM at the radio [00:17:00] station on the corner of Hawthorne and Main Street nine 10 Main Street to be exact nine 10 Main Street.
To be exact. That's even better. And we can celebrate Grandpa's legacy with his honorary street naming, which will be Jaime Flores Way, which I think he likes because he likes it his way, right? Yeah. Yeah, that's true. I think it's a family thing. We all like it our way. And so check us out, come out, come celebrate.
And when you see him outside, make sure you tell him congratulations. Yeah. I wanna say thank you again and, and appreciate all my family that's giving me support from London, from Colombia, Venezuela. He's very popular. And my daughter's in New York and Barcelona, but especially my sons in, in, in Worcester.
My son Dezi, that was my savior, the big explosion in 2013. The was marathon is the one that recovered me. And the two of you guys you're doing such a excellent job. I think that you'll be my legacy. You're doing [00:18:00] so many things, helping the community, doing this, starting and a lot of stuff, but time will paid off.
Believe me. Time will paid off for you guys. And that's your recess. God bless you. Thank you, grandpa. We appreciate it. So this is Giselle with hispanic ish.com and I'll see you soon.
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