Helping people makes her day, Olver aide works to give Hispanics assistance

Nora Cardec CORRESPONDENT

Published 12:01a.m. ET June 18th, 2006 | Updated 12:00 a.m. ET June 18th, 2006

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In a sea of many Hispanic nationalities in northcentral Massachusetts, Eladia Romero-Rodriguez is the compass that helps them navigate in the right direction.

As an aide to U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D- Amherst, at the Fitchburg office, Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez handles a variety of cases, including housing, education and immigration.

Her days consist of answering phone calls, solving problems, scheduling appointments, giving information on legal matters, making referrals and doing paperwork. She also does presentations, by request, on various topics.

“I’m involved in so many things,” Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez said. “You name it, I’m involved.”

Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez is the first Hispanic congressional aide hired in Mr. Olver’s district. She has worked at her position five years.

“She knows the language and the culture and people go to her for assistance,” said Mickey Guzman, a social worker at Montachusett Home Care. “It’s good she’s there. She’s an advocate and a liaison to the Hispanic community.”

Her devotion to helping others is a trait she learned from her mother, she said.

“I just want to help people in my community and want to engage the disenfranchised.”

In her many tasks, Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez finds time to educate those she helps, particularly about the importance of participating in the political process. She makes a point of not imposing her own political views on anyone, she said.

She simply encourages people to vote and explains to them the connection between their issues and voting in elections.

“I tell them, ‘Your vote is like your identity, if you choose not to vote, you’re not counted.’ ”

During the past two years, 95 percent of Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez’s caseload has been issues related to immigration.

Over 80 percent of the people who call her on immigration issues are Spanish speakers.

According to Neddy Latimer, director of the Leominster Spanish American Center, Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez is an unsung hero to all Hispanics in the region.

“Eladia is very special to our Hispanic community,” Mrs. Latimer said. “She’s dynamic and she helps so many people. She’s like a voice for all of us, the only one representing us.”

Being a congressional aide has changed Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez’s perspective in many ways. She said she has grown intellectually and is more humane.

Two of the many cases that have touched her are the one of the immigrant man who was dying and wanted to see his mother, and the World War II veteran who wanted to get the medals he was due.

“I was able to reunite mother and son before he died,” Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez said. “I was able to accomplish his dying wish.”

“My job is challenging, but overall it’s been a great experience. I love my job. I love being able to help people the way I do.”

Her greatest reward, she said, is seeing how grateful people are when you listen and help them, as was the case with the veteran.

“It always amazes me the sacrifices they’ve made,” she said referring to veterans. “They walk the streets like normal people and you never know what they’ve done in the line of duty.”

Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez, 28, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. She lost her father at the age of 7 and right after moved to Fitchburg with her mother and two sisters. She is the middle child.

By the time she was 8, Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez said, she knew she wanted to become a lawyer.

“I always enjoyed learning especially about the law,” she said. “I always wanted to be educated on things, knowing what you can do and cannot do.”

Although she faced adversities throughout her younger years, her focus was education.

“At a young age I knew I wanted to end the cycle of poverty and lack of education,” she said. “I had to set up goals for myself. I knew I didn’t want to live in the projects with drugs and alcohol and problems, and along the way there was always a teacher or someone who kept encouraging me.”

Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez was the first in her family to graduate from high school and college.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from Mt. Ida College.

Throughout her school years, she held a job or two, sometimes even three, she said.

She learned early on to turn her negatives into positives.

“You can take a negative experience in your life and use it almost as a source of energy and say ‘I’m not going to let this take me down,’ or you can let it get you down. I just didn’t let my circumstances take me down,” said Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez.

Mrs. Romero-Rodriguez is a member of the Latino Business Association of Worcester County (formerly the North Central Latino Advisory Board); United Way Leadership Committee, and Day of Caring Committee; Three Pyramids’ Board of Directors, the North Central Massachusetts Minority Coalition and the Latino Services Teen Center.