NAMPA, Idaho — The Rotary Club of Nampa hosted their 4th annual "Wine, Dine, Be Kind!" event at Warhawk Air Museum Thursday night, benefiting Nampa School District's Migrant Education Program and Homeless Education Program.
"This a very awesome program, they help people with the things that they need," said Elian Tovar about the Migrant Education Program (MEP).
Tovar is in MEP within the Nampa School District. The senior at Skyview High School said he was born here, but moved to Mexico when he was just two years old. Then, at 16, his parents moved him back to Idaho without any knowledge of English.
"I was nervous, I was fearful, because I didn't go to the store because I didn't know if some people would say something [to me, where] I don't know what to answer. So, I stayed in my home. Yes. Because I was so fearful," said Tovar.
But he says now, that's changed.
"I can communicate with people," said Tovar.
And keep up with academics. He credits this largely to the MEP -- one of two programs benefiting from this 4th annual Rotary Club of Nampa event.
"We wanted to support our own kids, in our community, right here in our own backyard, that are either homeless or displaced or just needing to learn more to catch up," said Rhea Allen, President of Peppershock Media and founder of the "Wine, Dine, Be Kind!" event.
The goal of the MEP is to ensure that all migrant students are able to graduate with a high school diploma.
"To no fault of their own, sometimes they're in this situation," said Allen.
This helps set them up for success to be productive members of society.
"Sometimes when they're migrant students, English is their second language, or they're moving around from place to place, and so what happens sometimes. is their education isn't as lucrative as it otherwise could be," said Allen.
So while Tovar said it feels great to get this community support, now that he knows two language, it's also been fun to give it.
"I can be like an interpreter for a lot of other students at my school," said Tovar, with a smile.
Allen says the point of Thursday's gathering is to show children in the Nampa School District that the community cares about them.
