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Illustration for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”

Spanish story with translation · B2 · 17 lines

¿Acabas de llegar? Te ayudamos Did you just arrive? We'll help you

Comic · 11 panels

Panel 1 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Did you just arrive in Valencia? When you arrive in a new city, the hardest thing isn't the language, but knowing who to ask. We're an association in the…
  1. ¿Acabas de llegar a Valencia? Cuando uno llega a una ciudad nueva, lo más difícil no es el idioma, sino saber a quién preguntar.

    Did you just arrive in Valencia? When you arrive in a new city, the hardest thing isn't the language, but knowing who to ask.

  2. Somos una asociación del barrio de Benimaclet, sin ánimo de lucro, y todo lo que ofrecemos es gratuito.

    We're an association in the Benimaclet neighborhood, a nonprofit, and everything we offer is free.

Panel 2 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Our space is open every Saturday from ten to one: come without an appointment, just with your questions. Welcome: we greet you with a coffee, listen to you and…
  1. Nuestro local abre cada sábado de diez a una: ven sin cita, solo con tus preguntas.

    Our space is open every Saturday from ten to one: come without an appointment, just with your questions.

  2. Acogida: te recibimos con un café, te escuchamos y te decimos con quién puedes hablar según tu caso.

    Welcome: we greet you with a coffee, listen to you and tell you who you can talk to about your situation.

Panel 3 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Paperwork: we guide you on how to register your address, how to make an appointment at city hall and what documents each office asks for. We're not lawyers and…
  1. Papeles: te orientamos para empadronarte, para pedir cita en el ayuntamiento y para entender qué documentos pide cada oficina.

    Paperwork: we guide you on how to register your address, how to make an appointment at city hall and what documents each office asks for.

  2. No somos abogados y no resolvemos casos de permiso de trabajo, pero te explicamos por dónde empezar y te acompañamos a la primera cita.

    We're not lawyers and we don't handle work permit cases, but we explain where to start and we go with you to your first appointment.

Panel 4 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: If you need support, we go with you to city hall's social services, as well as to your health center, to explain how the health system works.
  1. Si necesitas apoyo, te acompañamos a los servicios sociales del ayuntamiento, así como a tu centro de salud, para explicarte cómo funciona la sanidad.

    If you need support, we go with you to city hall's social services, as well as to your health center, to explain how the health system works.

Panel 5 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Languages: on Mondays and Wednesdays there are Spanish classes, whereas on Saturday mornings we do a language exchange with people from the neighborhood.
  1. Idiomas: los lunes y los miércoles hay clases de español, mientras que los sábados por la mañana hacemos intercambio de idiomas con vecinos del barrio.

    Languages: on Mondays and Wednesdays there are Spanish classes, whereas on Saturday mornings we do a language exchange with people from the neighborhood.

Panel 6 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Food bank: on Thursdays, from five to seven, for families in the neighborhood, because poverty and inequality also exist just a few streets from here. Donations…
  1. Banco de alimentos: los jueves, de cinco a siete, para familias del barrio, porque la pobreza y la desigualdad también existen a pocas calles de aquí.

    Food bank: on Thursdays, from five to seven, for families in the neighborhood, because poverty and inequality also exist just a few streets from here.

  2. Las donaciones se reciben los viernes por la tarde; se ruega no traer comida que esté abierta o haya caducado.

    Donations are accepted on Friday afternoons; please don't bring food that has been opened or has expired.

Panel 7 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Once a month we organize a session on immigration and paperwork, with real examples and time for questions.
  1. Una vez al mes organizamos una sesión sobre inmigración y trámites, con ejemplos reales y tiempo para preguntas.

    Once a month we organize a session on immigration and paperwork, with real examples and time for questions.

Panel 8 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: To take part, you just need to sign up at our space on a Saturday, with your name and a phone number: you don't need to be a member or speak good Spanish.
  1. Para participar solo tienes que inscribirte en el local un sábado, con tu nombre y un teléfono: no hace falta ser miembro ni hablar bien español.

    To take part, you just need to sign up at our space on a Saturday, with your name and a phone number: you don't need to be a member or speak good Spanish.

Panel 9 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Do you want to help too? We need volunteers, especially people who have already been through the same thing and know what seems hard at first. We have only a few…
  1. ¿Quieres ayudar tú también? Necesitamos voluntarios, sobre todo gente que ya ha pasado por lo mismo y sabe qué cosas parecen difíciles al principio.

    Do you want to help too? We need volunteers, especially people who have already been through the same thing and know what seems hard at first.

  2. Nuestras reglas son pocas: respeto mutuo, ayuda mutua y ninguna pregunta personal que no quieras contestar.

    We have only a few rules: mutual respect, mutual help and no personal questions you don't want to answer.

Panel 10 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: In our space there's no room for racism or for any form of discrimination: here we're all equal, and we live equality every day. We believe diversity makes a…
  1. En nuestro local no hay sitio para el racismo ni para ninguna forma de discriminación: aquí todos somos iguales, y la igualdad se vive cada día.

    In our space there's no room for racism or for any form of discrimination: here we're all equal, and we live equality every day.

  2. Creemos que la diversidad hace más fuerte a un barrio y que la integración es tarea de toda la comunidad, no solo de quien llega.

    We believe diversity makes a neighborhood stronger and that integration is a job for the whole community, not just for the person who arrives.

Panel 11 of 11 for “Did you just arrive? We'll help you”: Thanks to the caring neighbors who make all this possible. Here nobody starts from scratch: we're waiting for you!
  1. Gracias a los vecinos solidarios que hacen posible todo esto. Aquí nadie empieza de cero: ¡te esperamos!

    Thanks to the caring neighbors who make all this possible. Here nobody starts from scratch: we're waiting for you!

Grammar for this text

Se ruega no traer comida que esté abierta o haya caducado — se ruega + infinitive is a formal "please" used on signs and in notices; it doesn't say who is asking. Here the request is negative: "please don't bring food that has been opened or has expired". After comida que comes the subjunctive (esté, haya caducado): it means any food like that, not one specific item.

Así como a tu centro de salud — así como — "as well as"; a written connector. In conversation people would just say y.

Cuando uno llega a una ciudad nueva… — uno in the general sense, as in the previous text. Los sábados por la mañana hacemos intercambio de idiomas after mientras que — another comparison of two sides: classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, whereas on Saturdays it's conversation.

Things to notice in the notice. Ven sin cita — cita here is an appointment: come without one. No somos abogados y no resolvemos casos de permiso de trabajo — an honest disclaimer: the association doesn't handle legal cases, it shows you where to start. Centro de salud — your local public health center, where you book appointments in advance instead of just walking in.

Words and grammar of the unit: Help newcomers settle in.

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