Outreach

Language Interpreters and Translators, Signers, and Braillists

Below is a listing of some resources to contact if the need arises for interpreting and translating services. Most private individuals or organizations probably will charge for their services. Kansas NRCS has identified several employees or Earth Team (ET) volunteers, and other personnel from conservation districts, Rural Development (RD), and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) that could assist in interpreting or translating.

1. Kansas District Courts generally have people they use as interpreters and translators. The Kansas District Courts Web site lists all the courts with phone numbers. If you call the Clerk of the District Court, he or she can probably give you a name. However you must remember these interpreters and translators probably have a regular job so you would need to make arrangements with them.
2. Language teachers. You may want to check with your local high school, college, community college, or technical school to determine if they have someone who could interpret or translate.
3. Catholic Charities agency.
4. Cultivate Kansas City staff and board members are fluent in English, Hmong, Korean, Spanish, and German. Other language resources are available if needed.
5. Braillists and Sign Language Interpreters, Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns.
6. NRCS employees, ET volunteers, and others:

Spanish

• James Pena, NRCS Soil Conservation Technician, Ulysses Field Office (FO)
• Toni Lyn Larson, ET volunteer, Effingham FO
• Litza Y. Lopez-Ramos, Soil Conservationist, Garden City FO

Braillist

• Mary Ellen Kline, ET volunteer, Medicine Lodge FO
• USDA TARGET Center

Other

• German: Patty Hageman, FSA Manhattan SO
• Russian: Lilya Peters (daughter-in-law of Brenda Peters, District Manager, McPherson County Conservation District) is Russian and can interpret and translate Russian and speaks Croatian.
• Spanish: Elva Yanez, RD Specialist, Garden City FO, Spanish bi-lingual, can interpret and translate.

Publications

• Reaching Out to Historically Underserved
• Board Diversity
• Financial Assistance Available - Division of Conservation (English and Spanish) (PDF; 67 KB)

Media

• Hispanic Media Sources in Kansas

Policy and Guidance

• Equal Opportunity Public Notification Policy (PDF; 33 KB)
• Notices of Special Events and Other Activities Sponsored by or Held in USDA Facilities - Providing Accommodations for Special Needs (PDF; 384 KB)

Demographics Resources

• Kansas Agricultural Statistics
• Economic Research Service Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America
• ZIPskinny - U.S. Census data

Contact

Mary Shaffer
Outreach Coordinator

Last Modified: 12/22/2011