Tony Valle

About 20 families, most of whom are from the southern Mexican live in the complex, said Tony Valle of Urban Light Ministries.

Valle translated a letter for the residents from English to Spanish sent last week by Dana R. Booghier, director of the Clark County division of building regulations.
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Valle said the families might end up sharing apartments while the repairs are being done.

"No one family was ready to leave the place," he said.

Tony Valle, director of the Adopt-a-Block program for Urban Light Ministries who is fluent in Spanish, said he knows different landlords and plans to get in touch with them to help the families find housing.

Organizations often donate school supplies to children who could not otherwise afford them, said Tony Valle, director of Urban Light Ministries.

This group, however, will give supplies to all children - regardless of family income.

"Children are special, and they need to know that," Valle said.
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Businesses have promised to ask their employees for donations, and churches are taking special offerings, Valle said.So far, donations have come by word-of-mouth, and the pot keeps growing, he said.

If the center raises more than $20,000, it will buy packets for middle school kids, Valle said.

The supplies will be distributed at the center's fifth annual Adopt-a-Block Block Party from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 16 at Davey Moore Park.
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Education Credit Union in Springfield made a corporate donation after Valle told the company of the project, said Joan Elder, the credit union's marketing director.

Most of the nearly 800 Hispanics living in Springfield don't know English, said Tony Valle, director of Adopt-a-Block, which is part of Urban Light Ministries.

Valle often translates for Spanish-speaking tenants.The brochures will make his job easier.

"If you were to give them something in English with their legal rights on it, they will never know," he said.

This month is the 35th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Law, which makes it illegal to discriminate against people when they are trying to obtain housing.

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Some of the Hispanics in Springfield live in substandard housing, Valle said, because as non-English speakers, they end up at the mercy of landlords.

He tries to refer newcomers to property owners Valle knows are trustworthy.

"There's not one landlord here who can say that a Hispanic man or woman left the house without paying rent," he said."They are honest, hard-working people."

The city also is meeting with representatives from the Ohio Department of Commerce on April 30 and the Springfield Board of Realtors to discuss predatory lending as part of Fair Housing Month.

Tony Valle grew up in a small coastal village in Mexico with 20 siblings.

"You can tell my father was a very busy man," Valle joked."You can never say Mexicans aren't productive."

Valle shared personal stories of his journey from the fields of Mexico to his work at Urban Light Ministries in Springfield as part of the monthly Global Education Speaker Series.
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The group wanted Valle to talk about his experiences because of the rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population in Clark County, Flinchbaugh said.
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Valle described growing up poor but happy in rural Mexico.As young as 8 years old he began working in the many fruit and vegetable farms of his coastal community.

When Valle was close to 12, he moved to live with his father's in-laws to continue school.He had to pay for his education by making bricks at night.

By 14 he was living on his own, bouncing from house to house and catching trains.He knows what it's like to be homeless and hungry.

"A lot of these things I am telling you about are great things in my life," he said."Sometimes it also brings a lot of pain.It's not always easy to think about."

At 17 he came to the United States and lived in Pasadena, Calif., working many odd jobs, such as dishwasher and bus boy.

Valle resisted learning English at first but decided to after going into a restaurant and being unable to order a meal.

"If you want to be successful in this country, you are going to have to learn how to speak English," he said."I began to learn a lot more about this country and about the people My world began to open up, and I had friends and relationships."

He married and eventually moved to Springfield with his children and wife, who's from Ohio.

Valle credits Christianity with turning his life around and said he's worked for community organizations everywhere he's lived.

When Valle came to Springfield, he thought he would continue his work as a plasterer.His volunteer work at Urban Light Ministries' Adopt a Block grew, and about five years ago he became director.

Through his job, he helps many of Clark County's new immigrants and Spanish speakers.Valle helps them seek jobs, translates for them, registers their children for school, finds them places to worship, and sometimes just sits and talks to them.

It can be lonely with few people to chat with, Valle said, or few family or friends.

"I've gone to doctor's offices," he said."I've been there when babies are born because the mother's cannot speak English.It's just being there for Hispanics who cannot speak English."

He encourages immigrants to learn English, and Urban Light offers language classes.

Many Hispanics in Clark County also face problems with transportation, Valle said, because they do not have drivers licenses or cars.

Others might have a hard time finding housing or work, especially once the growing seasons end.So Valle and his organization try to do all they can to encourage migrant workers to stay.

Young children that move state to state often lose out on education, he said.

One audience member asked what other people could do to assist newcomers or other Hispanic residents.

Valle told them to volunteer, seek out translators and not to brush off Hispanics just because they don't know English.

"Smile.Just greet them and be polite," he said.

Adopt-a-Block Director Tony Valle said Urban Light will give away a 3-bedroom house to a needy family at the block party.He said he expects about 5,000 people to attend the free event, which will include food, games and prizes, including about 500 of King's bikes, which will be raffled off for free.

"I'm overwhelmed by his generosity.I wish there was more Rons,{M6 I'm telling you," Valle said.

The house at 327 Baltimore Place, valued at $40,000 to $50,000, comes completely paid for, said Tony Valle, director of the Urban Light Ministries' Adopt-A-Block program.Construction crews are renovating the home, which will be ready for tenants Sept. 31.

Urban Light Ministries will give away other prizes at the party, including toys, computers and 200 bicycles.The teenager who brings the most friends will win a DVD player, Valle said.

"We're doing this to bring a sense of community back," he said.

The party will have a section for teenagers that includes volleyball and basketball courts as well as a dunking booth.Younger children can jump in Jolly Jumpers and play carnival-type games.Everything - including entrance, games and giveaways - is free.

"Some people don't have enough money to see a movie," Valle said."The people are excited.They can't wait.They know that when they come to these block parties, the hat is not going to be passed around, they are not going to be denied anything."

Time and monetary donations from several businesses and individuals in the area made the party possible, he said.Organizers expect about 5,000 people to attend.
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"I hope the whole city comes," Valle said."They've never seen a party like this."

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Tony Valle is director of Adopt a Block.He said he likes the diversity of the delegation, from business people to faith-based organizations to health care providers.

"What makes this city special to me is the people," he said.

Tony ValleOn May 17 and 18, the life story of local Springfield community leader Tony Valle was shared with millions around the world through radio.In August 2001, Valle's life story was recorded at the studios of CDR Radio, The PATH® (90.3 FM) for the international radio broadcast program "Words To Live By."Valle's story was heard locally Sunday, May 18 at 7:30 a.m. on CDR Radio, The PATH® (90.3 FM).

"Words To Live By" is a half-hour radio program presenting testimonies of how God and His Word have changed, challenged, and impacted lives.The program is aired on more than 360 stations worldwide, including stations in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, the Far East, Africa, and Central America."Tony's circumstances blurred his perception of God.After having to fend for himself since he was fourteen, how could he believe that Jesus Christ cared for him?It wasn't until he saw the change that took place in his wife, Kelly, after she was saved, that Tony was drawn to the love of God"

Valle is the director of Adopt-A-Block, a service of Springfield's Urban Light Ministries (a nondenominational Christian outreach ministry).

To come out on the block with one of the staff or volunteers or to have Tony Valle, Director or Faith Foster, Coordinator speak to your church, please contact them.