Outside the classroom...and the campus
If you're learning Spanish at Calvin, you won't just study it in the classroom; you'll experience it—right here in Grand Rapids. And with over 32,000 Hispanics living in Grand Rapids (that's 17% of the population!), it isn't too difficult to discover ways to use your Spanish right here in the community. Whether you choose to volunteer at an agency that serves the Hispanic population, worship at a Spanish-speaking church, or enjoy a meal at a Latin American restaurant, you are sure to discover a way to meet the Hispanic community of Grand Rapids.
Check out our list of area Hispanic contacts below, or visit the Service-Learning Center for more ideas on how to serve.
Agencies
American Red Cross Language Bank
(interpreting for disaster victims)
1050 Fuller NE
L-V: 8:30am–5pm
616.456.8661
Arbor Circle Counseling Center
(ABC program for youth, outpatient counseling for all ages, Bridge for homeless youth, neighborhood drop- in for mothers)
1115 Ball NE
616.456.6571
Casa de la Paz
(emergency family temporary shelter)
1935 Plainfield NE
Aida Melendez, Program Manager
616.364.0845
Catholic Human Development
(refugee/immigration assistance and advocacy program)
40 Jefferson Ave. SE
616.248.3030
Catholic Social Services
(counseling & adoption)
40 Jefferson Ave. SE
616.456.1443
Clínica Santa María
(clinic and abuse referrals)
730 Grandville Ave. SW
L-V: 8am–5pm
616.685.8400
Goodwill Industries
(vocational training)
3035 Prairie Street SW
L-V: 7:30am–4:30pm
616.532.4200
Heartside Clinic of Saint Mary’s
(social work, clinic for the homeless, some attorney work, substance abuse referrals, etc.)
359 S. Division
L-V: 7:30am–3pm
616.685.3818
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
(legal assistance)
1204 Grandville SW
L-V: 8am–5pm
616.742.0200
Hispanic Ministry Office of the Catholic Church
(central office for parish project organization)
360 Division Ave. S
616.246.0598
Mel Trotter Ministries
225 Commerce Ave. SW
Rev. Bob Evans
616.454.8249
Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project
(free legal aide to migrant farm workers under poverty line, labor law, housing, consumer law, civil rights – no family or criminal law)
648 Monroe Ave. NW, suite 318
616.454.5055
PARA/Bethany Christian Services
(assistance driving to doctor, translating, assisting
refugee acculturation, etc.)
901 Eastern Ave. NE
616.224.7523
Project Rehab Hispanic Residential Program
(substance abuse problems, residential and outpatient)
200 Eastern Ave. SE
616.776.0891 x260
Roosevelt Park Ministries
(ESL and other language services, job referrals, food pantry, leadership development, youth outreach, seasonal family assistance, etc.)
1530 Grandville Ave. SW
Steve Drewry, Director
616.475.5881
Sparta Migrant Services & Community Education
(ESL classes and support for migrant workers)
1655 12 Mile Rd.
Sparta 49345
616.887.7321 or 616.887.2085
Villa Esperanza
(retirement home)
1446 44th St. SW
L-V: 9am–2pm
616.530.0883
Voices for Health, Inc.
(language and culture services)
2851 Michigan St., Suite 104
L-V: 8am–5pm
Michelle Scott
616.233.6505
Bookstores
Bishop Baraga Bookstore
360 Division SE, Suite 1B
616.245.2251
Casa del Cristiano
2332 S. Division
616.247.9830
CRC Publications
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Kregel Bookstore Editorial Portavoz
733 Wealthy St. SE
L-V: 8:30am–5pm
616.451.4775
Churches
Burton Heights Baptist Church
311 Burton St. SW
616.301.1050
Emanuel Hispana CRC
1265 36th St. SW
Wyoming 49509
Domingo 11am Spanish
Carlos Tápanes, Pastor
616.534.3836 (call Fri pm/Sat am)
Esperanza Covenant Church
1933 Tremont Blvd. NW
Domingo 12:30pm Spanish
Tomas Ivens, Pastor
616.633.5795
Grand Rapids First
2100 44th St. SW
Miércoles 7pm Spanish
Domingo 5pm Spanish
Jonathan Espinoza, Pastor/Hispanic Ministry
616.531.2100
Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Mi Ebenezer
1132 S. Division Ave.
Angel Ortiz, Pastor
616.247.8200
Iglesia Luz y Verdad
1021 Hall St. SE
Martes 7pm Spanish
Jueves 7pm Spanish
Domingo 5pm Spanish
616.241.3534
Iglesia Resurrección y Vida Central
1001 Hermitage SE
Sábado 6pm Spanish
616.459.7303
Resurrection Life Full Gospel
5100 Ivanrest
Domingo 12pm Spanish
616.534.4923
St. Andrew’s Cathedral (Catholic)
301 Sheldon SE
Domingo 12pm Spanish
616.456.1454
St. Francis De Sales Parish (Catholic)
171 W. 13th St.
Holland 49423
Miércoles 6pm Spanish
Sábado 5pm Bilingual
Domingo 12:30pm Spanish
616.396.7641
St. Joseph the Worker (Catholic)
225 32nd St. SW
Wyoming 49509
Sábado 5pm Bilingual
Domingo 9am & 11am Spanish
616.456.7982
Templo Bethel Asamblea de Dios
832 Grandville Ave. SW
616.245.3718
Newspapers
El Hispano News
1451 Grandville SW
Jaime Malone, Editor
616.452.1546
hnewsgr@aol.com
El Vocero Hispano
1438 Eastern Ave. SE
Andres Abreu, Editor
616.246.6023
Lazo Cultural
3923 28th St. SE 118
Isabel Flores, Editor
616.977.0658
La Voz
1066 Grandville
Dr. José A. Flores, Publisher
616.243.9090
Radio
WMUK FM 102.1
(Western Mich. University)
“El Alma Latina” – news/music from Latin America
Domingo 6pm
269.387.5715
WNWZ AM 1410
“La Máquina Musical”
50 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 500
616.451.8686
Restaurants
Acapulco Restaurant
432 Division Ave. S
616.451.8997
Alma Latina Restaurant
45 S. Division Ave.
616.454.6790
Beltline Bar
16 28th St. SE
616.245.0494
El Arriero
2948 28th Street SE
616.977.2674
El Azteca Restaurant
641 Century SW
616.235.0994
El Sol Azteca Mexican Cuisine
2427 Eastern Ave.
616.245.9960
El Sombrero Restaurant
527 Bridge NW
616.451.4290
La Cantina Mexican Restaurant
2770 East Paris SE
616.949.9120
La Mexicana Bakery
1628 Division Ave. S
616.246.6912
Little Mexico Café
401 Stocking NW
616.456.0517
Maggie’s Kitchen
636 Bridge NW
616.458.8583
Sanchez, A Tapas Bistro
38 W. Fulton
616.774.8272
Santo Domingo Restaurant
2017 S. Division
616.246.1085
Schools
Adult Education (ESL)
Godfrey Lee Community Education
1530 Grandville SW
Thelma Meyer
616.241.5600
Godwin Heights Learning Center
3333 S. Division
Jerry Emde
616.252.2040
GR Community Education
Beckwith School
2405 Leonard St.
Sarah Krontoft
616.819.3253
Bilingual/ESL Programs
Adelante High School
1061 Kensington SE
Dr. Raul Ysasi, Principal
616.819.2620
Buchanan Elementary
1775 Buchanan SW
Yolanda Valenzuela, Principal
616.819.2252
Burton Elementary
2133 Buchanan SW
Marti Hernandez, Principal
616.819.2262
Burton Middle
1050 Iroquois Dr.
Robert Evans, Principal
616.819.2269
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary
703 Shamrock SW
Ana Aleman-Putman, Principal
616.819.2560
Westwood Middle School
1525 Mt. Mercy Dr. NW
616.819.3322
Pam Orgeck, Principal
FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) Programs
Ada Christian School (PreK-8)
6206 Ada Dr. SE
Judy DeJong, Principal
616.676.1289
Immaculate Heart of Mary (PreK-8)
1951 Plymouth SE
Ms. Vafadari, Principal
616.241.4633
St. Andrew’s School
302 Sheldon SE
Connie Ankoviak, Principal
616.451.8463
St. Francis Xavier Elementary (PreK-8)
240 Brown SE
Tom Priest, Principal
616.241.5474
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish School (PreK-8)
1429 Wilcox Park Drive SE
Dave Faber, Principal
616.458.4228
Immersion Programs
Ada Vista Spanish Immersion Program (K-6)
[Forest Hills Public Schools]
7192 Bradfield SE Ada
Jesús Santillán, Principal
616.493.8970
Southwest Community Campus – dual language program (PreK-8)
[Grand Rapids Public Schools]
801 Oakland SW
Carmen Fernandez, Principal
616.819.2947
K-12 Spanish Programs
East Grand Rapids Public Schools
District Office
2915 Hall St.
616.235.3535
Forest Hills Public Schools
Administration Building
6590 Cascade Road SE
616.493.8800
Grand Rapids Christian Schools
Creston/Millbrook/Oakdale/
Evergreen/Rockford
Administrative Offices
1812 Sylvan SE
616.574.6370
The Potter's House
810 Van Raalte Dr. SW
1812 Sylvan SE
616.241.5202
Stores
*For a true latino shopping experience, spend an afternoon wandering around the 1400-1500 blocks of Grandville Avenue (between Clyde Park and High Street). There are over 17 independent Spanish-speaking businesses in this area. The stores are small and clean, and the service is super-friendly.
El Matador Tortilla Factory
45 Franklin SW
616.241.1121
Felix and Sons Market
824 Bridge NW
616.458.7939
La Familia Stop-N-Shop
(Puerta Rican)
1066 Grandville SW
616.243.9090
La Favorita Tortillería
1846 Clyde Park SW
616.452.6625
LA Principal Foods
(Cuban)
1259 Grandville SW
616.241.6656
La Vencedora
(Mexican Groceries)
2211 Division Ave. S
616.243.8242
Mercado El Latino
410 S. State St.
Sparta 49345
616.887.1759
Moctezuma Foods Inc.
(Mexican Food Distributors)
346 Lexington Ave. NW
616.243.3585
Santo Domingo Grocery
2059 Division Ave. S
616.246.1085
Supermercado Guadalajara
2106 Division Ave. S
616.243.5408
Supermercado México
1160 Chicago Dr. SW
Wyoming 49509
616.245.7443
Supermercado Roosevelt
1428 Grandville SW
616.243.1464
Television
GRTV – CH 25
711 Bridge St. NW
616.459.4788
WGVU/WGVK – CH 35
(Paid programs for children)
301 Fulton St. W Room 820
616.771.6739
WKTV – CH 25
5261 Clyde Park Ave. SW
Wyoming 49509
616.261.5700
Lunes 11am
Martes 12:30pm
Jueves 6pm
Univisión
(available on regular cable –
24-hour Spanish programming)
Translation Services
Languages International
4460 44th St. SE, Suite C-200
616.285.0005
Languages Translation Service
Foreign Language Services
PO Box 8573
616.530.3029
Spanish Today
160 Sluyter St.
616.249.9050
Translations Unlimited
1455 Forest Hill SE
Leslie Mathews, Director
lmathews@calvin.edu
616.942.5742
