By Nancy Young
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - A new volunteer program called Rain Makers has formed to offer services to Butler County's growing Hispanic/Latino population.

According to the 2000 Census, nearly 1 percent of Butler County residents have Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. In this township alone, the number of Hispanics grew from 247 in the 1990 census to 1,095 in the 2000 count.

So the local Spanish Coalition - also known as West Chester Si! - created the program. Rain Makers is modeled after a similar program in Miami Beach, Fla.

"We intend to be a resource for these people," says Pamela Mortensen, director of Butler County's Head Start Program, which is training Rain Maker volunteers. "For instance, we can help them find a Spanish-speaking doctor or dentist. We can work to determine their eligibility for medical care and services. We can help them fill out forms for school enrollment. And thanks to the support of Reach Out Lakota (a charitable organization in West Chester and Liberty townships), we can provide more basic needs such as food, clothing and furniture."

Rain (Referral and Information) Makers' seven volunteers are starting out in neighborhoods where Spanish-speaking people are concentrated. The group, along with the West Chester Township Mobile Command Center, recently visited the Woodbridge Apartments on Cincinnati-Dayton Road.

"Hispanic immigrants tend to bring a strong work ethic with them when they move to the United States, and most of them do come here for economic reasons," Ms. Mortensen said. "Learning the English language is not always a priority, and this can make communication a major problem.

"Although we often think of Hispanic immigrants as all coming from Mexico, in fact we also have newcomers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and other Latin countries," she said. "Many of these people are still sending money home to their families, so they work long hours. They may not know how to find the information they need to settle into Butler County, or they may just not have the time."

For more information on Rain Makers, contact the Butler County Head Start Program at 887-5516.