MARYVILLE, Tenn. — There's a place in Blount County where people can go if they have a temporary crisis and Spanish speakers don't have to wait for a translator.
Blount County Good Neighbors is there for everyone who needs a little bit of help.
Executive director Karla Suszek is originally from Guatemala. She speaks Spanish and she bridges the gap for all people who need things like rental, utility and budgeting assistance.
Suszek joined the nonprofit in 2022 and said that she's able to help Spanish speakers right away when they come to the office.
"Just being able to welcome somebody into my office and speaking their own language makes a world of difference," Suszek said. "When someone's coming in, in a little bit of a crisis, and they need someone to just be able to freely communicate and feel welcome."
The nonprofit still uses partner organizations to help advocate for Spanish speakers but the addition of Suszek is felt by longtime volunteers, like Peggy Campbell.
Campbell said people who do drop in help don't have to wait.
"Oh that helps a lot," Campbell said of Suszek being fluent in Spanish. "The ones that are the most needy don't have appointments. So we can take them and they don't need appointments."
Both Suszek and Campbell said they've seen an increase in the need for the nonprofit's services.
Suszek said rent is going up for clients and Campbell mentioned that there's a need for transportation in the county that goes beyond bus services.
There's a growing population of Spanish speakers in Blount County, according to Suszek.
"In Blount County, in Maryville and Maryville City Schools, you'll see a lot of families who are Hispanic," she said. "As well as (in) Alcoa."
She said she's proud of families who seek out help for their loved ones and work on learning English, and that people in the Latino community are just like everyone else.
"You hear it more and more in the stores, you hear it in the grocery stores," Suszek said. "And the neighbors who come into my office are just like anybody else. They're here, they're working and they're contributing. They have families and kids in schools."