| HCLF-Growing Latino Business & Corporate Supplier Diversity
HCLF meetings provide an interactive forum for professionals, community members, and affinity leaders to discuss important issues facing the Latino community. The Latin American Association in partnership with Corporate Affinity Leaders will continue to embrace the Latino community in an effort to support the initiatives of volunteerism, education, social and economic advancement, and the betterment of all. Previous topics have included education, immigration, the role of consulates in the community, and the LAA’s family services and DFCS partnership. Explore how affinity group leaders can serve as liaisons for growing Latino businesses with regards to supplier diversity, as well as create long lasting relationships between small business and corporations. Turner Uno, Turner’s Affinity group will host the meeting and breakfast is sponsored by Fulcro Insurance.
LAA Collaborations Empowers Elizabeth Alenan
Elizabeth Alenan participated in the Sequoyah middle school after school program. By participating in parenting classes, becoming a volunteer for the LAA, and participating in the advocacy class for children, Elizabeth has empowered herself and her child, Mario. As part of the after-school program, Mario received tutoring, leadership development, arts as part of the LAA band class, tango classes, and college awareness. He also participated in our College Access Conference and Atlanta Symphony. Through the collaboration of the LAA Youth department, LAA Community Services division, and partnership with the parent center from Sequoyah Middle School, she has helped kids of all ages in their education. She even learned the process of applying for Mario’s enrollment in Pre K, a program that is not attended by many Latinos due to lack of information. Helping her kid’s education, Elizabeth is an example of the power of being involved across all functions of the LAA.
State Farm Grant Keeps Latinos Safe
The LAA is honored to receive a $65,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to support Youth Academic Achievement and Teen Driver Safety. The funding will support the LAA’s Youth Academic Achievement Initiative which seeks to close the Latino student academic achievement gap and provide programs that empower Latino students to realize their full potential. The program strengthens students’ reading, writing, and math skills and also incorporates culturally-appropriate enrichment activities, career and college readiness, tutoring and mentoring, community service, and leadership development. The Latino Teen Driver Safety program will educate teens on road awareness, being a smart passenger, severe weather driving, and the importance of driving without distraction. State Farm’s long-term commitment to our mission and the community is helping to keep Latino youth safe and on a path to success.
New Computer Classes Provide Classes on Graphic Design and Quicken
The LAA provides classes on graphic design for optimizing photography results. Students learn strategies for manipulating images, and how to take advantage of features such as layers, paths, and transparencies. The LAA also provides a Quicken, a personal financial management software program, class for organizing finances. Students learn to manage important monthly expenses, automated online banking and bill-paying features, balancing a checkbook, writing and printing checks, creating budgets, tracking and controlling credit card spending, managing tax information, creating tax reports for tax season to make filing easy, and more! For more information, see the graphics design and Quicken flyers. Contact Lana Gavrilov at (404) 638-1802 or lgavrilov@thelaa.org or visit www.thelaa.org.
Learn Computer Basics With Our Instructional Classes
We offer computer courses for adults which include comprehensive instruction on basic to advanced level computer skills. Computer subjects include Microsoft Word, the Internet, and email. For individuals seeking advanced instruction, we provide computer courses in Excel and PowerPoint. For the registration schedule, click here. For more information, contact Lana Gavrilov at (404) 638-1802 or lgavrilov@thelaa.org or visit www.thelaa.org.
New Family Services Partnerships
The LAA has partnered with new organizations to better our family services department. Emory Global Heed will be helping those seeking medical advice. Metro Fair Housing is a private, not-for-profit, fair housing organization who prevents housing discrimination throughout Georgia. They are coming once a month. Credibility provides counseling and education 24/7, in both English and Spanish, online by telephone. They also offer in-person counseling at 25 offices located across the southeastern U.S. Lifting Latino Voices is a program under Feminist Women Health Center who provide educational services, empowers metro-Atlanta Latinos through education and outreach to develop a diverse group of women making informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
Family Services Provides Service to Families in Urgent Need
Through our community services, we provide resources to families in urgent need. The LAA and Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia offer free sickle cell screenings and information on the 1st Tuesday of every month from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The 3rd Monday of every month from 9:30-12:00 p.m., the LAA and AID Atlanta offer free and confidential HIV screenings. On the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the LAA and Atlanta Legal Aid offer a free consultation. On the 1st and 2nd Saturday of every month from 9:30-11:30, and the LAA and Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program offer information on diabetes. Every other month on the 2nd Saturday of the month, Lupus Foundation of Georgia and LAA provide a support group that meets with families. Finally, the last Saturday of every month from 10:00-12:00 p.m., the LAA provides an epilepsy support group in Spanish.
Norcross Hosts Gardening Day for Kids
Parents and children met together at the Norcross Outreach Center for a day of gardening and fun. The Norcross Gardening Day brought families together to plant vegetables they will be taking care of until they grow and they can enjoy with their kids. The kids have a lot of fun doing the plantings and working in the dirt. Thank you to our Norcross Outreach Center for continuing to reach out to our youth.
3rd Annual Spring College Access Conference (CAC) 2012
The LAA invited 400 participants to the CAC hosted by Kennesaw State University and sponsored by the Board of Regents and Communities in School of Georgia on April 14th. Organized and coordinated by college students, the event is recognized as one of the best regional conferences in Georgia. Approximately 12% of Latinos drop out after middle school and the conference provides tools to succeed in life, prepare for college, promote higher education, scholarship information, and sessions for parents and teachers. A workshop was provided to seniors applying for college utilizing GA 411 services and LAHFA opened eyes for a meal in the college dining hall. Keynote speeches were given by 2 students on their personal journeys to relate the event’s message to today’s students. The LAA continues to expose young people to developing college readiness. Thanks to those who attended.
23rd Companeros Awards Luncheon Honors Latino Community Leaders
We honored Latino businesses and community leaders whose actions have directly benefited Atlanta’s Latino community at the Georgia Aquarium. Banda Santa Cecilia Arroyo Blanco played during our pre-reception representing the traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico. Award-winning Mexican-American Producer Moctesuma Esparza spoke on the importance of education and the Latino community. His inspiring story of overcoming a conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor for a walkout was a speech to remember. Awardees included Phillip Alequin Jr. for Outstanding Community Leadership, Service and Commitment; Stacey Abrams for Outstanding Public Service; Wells Fargo for Exemplary Corporate Leadership; Lino Dominguez for Media Excellence, and Maria Vargas for the Perseverance Award.
Substitute Teacher Training Program Teaches Women Childcare
The LAA’s complete intensive training program teaches women how to take care of children ages 0-5-year-old. The course is offered in Spanish during April 16th-20th in order to teach women on health and safety, CPR, nutrition, discipline, and practice in daycare. The course is taught at Suwanee, Marietta, Roswell, Dekalb, and Atlanta. This year’s program graduated 30 people by providing them with a portfolio of a resume, training, and activities to give to future employers.
Maria Vargas Personifies Perseverance
Maria Vargas personifies perseverance, strengthen and hope for other women, and the LAA is honored to recognize her with the 2012 Perseverance Award. Ms. Vargas was living in a dangerous and violent situation, desperately seeking a way to safety for herself and her children. “The abuse was happening at home,” said Ms. Vargas. “I lived in extreme fear of my husband, and I was being abused in a way that no human being should ever have to suffer.” Vargas sought help from the LAA. “The Association opened its doors to me and gave me the help I needed,” said Vargas. The LAA provided her with a safety plan, filing a Temporary Protective Order, rental assistance, applying for food stamps and Medicaid, obtaining a U Visa, English Classes, and eventually moving forward to a happier life without her abusive husband. Ms. Vargas is a unique survivor of a critical situation, and she continuously strives to improve her life and her children. At the LAA, we celebrate her peace and restored hope.
NAHJ Immigration Panel Discusses the Impact of the Border on Atlanta
In a transparent discussion on immigration, the safety and security of the border in Mexico and Arizona were discussed for understanding its impacts on Atlanta. Arizona saw 453 assaults and 2,800 immigrants cross the border in extreme conditions. 1 million immigrated, 140,000 found jobs, and 2.5% of those came to Georgia. In Mexico, there is trust between Mexican authorities and Border Patrol for the 25 underground tunnels it sees each year. The Border patrol reduced illegal immigrants to 129,000–the lowest in 40 years. The 5,400 agents have been more effective with the use of aviation movement, UAV’s, thermal technology, and seismic sensors. Problems of department practices, lack of due process, agency accountability, and agency complaints have made this a comprehensive immigration reform.
After School LAA End of Program Celebration at Sequoyah Middle School
Organized and coordinated by college students, this program uses students for a mentor to 7 high school students ratio to work with specific grades to address school retention. With an individualized, long-term approach to working with 60 students, the LAA follows students until high school, tracks them in college, and infuses best practices for Latinos by setting high expectations for measurement under Common Core State Standards. The program includes academic tutoring, college readiness, leadership, tutoring, mentoring, parent involvement, cultural enrichment activities, and civic engagement. The students are considered the best and the brightest. Metaphorically, students empower themselves as “shining stars.” The graduating ceremony was presented by students in a fully bilingual experience consisting of a powerpoint on different salary earnings for college graduates vs. high school students, a tango and jazz band performance, LAA song, and parental reflection of the program.
Program Vita Helps Families File Taxes
The LAA Atlanta Outreach Center and the VITA Program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) will offer free tax preparation to Individuals who earned less than $49,000 in 2011. This year’s program helped over 50 clients. The VITA program is a national initiative of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that offers FREE tax help to people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. IRS certified and trained volunteers, sponsored by various organizations, help prepare basic tax returns and working families with special tax credits such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly for which they may qualify. Each location also offers free electronic filing. They are coming five times a year to close on tax report ending dates. For more information, contact Cynthia Roman at (404) 638-1834 orcroman@thelaa.org or visit www.thelaa.org.
30th Annual Career Expo Connects Bilingual Professionals
Career Expo is Atlanta’s premier bilingual career fair that connects talented bilingual professionals with companies of choice in metro Atlanta, while directly benefiting children and families that participate in LAA programs and services. This year’s Career Expo also offered career building workshops for job candidates including “Getting Ready to Network,” “The Power of Networking,” and “Job Hunting Strategies Using Social Media.” Thank you to all of our sponsors and candidates that came out for this great event.
LAA Celebrates Love and Passion for Our Community
The LAA celebrated a night of festivity & dance to celebrate 40 years of love & passion for our community. In honor of our 40th Anniversary, we invited attendees to enjoy Orquesta Sabor, DJ Carlitos, exquisite Latin American hors d’oeuvres, and stunning views from Hotel Melia’s top floor. A special art exhibit was featured in partnership with the Institute of Mexico. Thanks to all those who attended.
NAHJ Hosts Human Trafficking Discussion
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Atlanta Chapter along with the Atlanta Press Club (APC) co-hosted a press event with the U.S. Department of Justice for Human Trafficking at the Latin American Association in January. Atlanta has been labeled as the #1 city of exploitation and Atlanta Magazine has called it the “Sex City” of Georgia for being the forefront of human trafficking in the United States because of location, transportation, and diverse population. According to Nick Valencia, president of NAHJ, 72,000 men have committed 8,000 sex acts and 28,000 men pay for sex. Fighting against modern-day slavery, a distinguished team of law enforcement experts including the Atlanta heads of ICE, Brock Nicholson, the FBI, Brian Lamkin, and U.S. Attorney, and Sally Yates came together for this panel discussion.
HCLF-The True Impact of HB87 on the Latino Community
We hosted “The True Impact of HB87 on the Latino Community” in the Hispanic Leadership Conference Forum in January that provided information about Georgia’s immigration legislation HB87 to the Latino community. More than 40 Hispanic leaders attended, and experts in constitutional, criminal and immigration law explained the effect legislation has on isolation, unemployment, racial profiling, parenting, and cheques cultures that the LAA sees every day. As a leading service provider to the Latino community, it is vital that we provide access to information to educate the Latino community, reduce today’s racial profiling, and understand migration challenges.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Plays Latino Music from Machu Picchu to Mexico
The Latin American Association celebrated the New Year and LAA 40th Anniversary with an evening dedicated to the rich musical and artistic culture of Latin America. We hosted an enchanting tour through the mesmerizing sounds of Maes Juan R. Ramirez, composer and founder of the Virtuosi Foundation, and our partnership with the musicians heritage from Danza Amerindian, Suite Latina for string quartet and strings, “In Memoriam: for Astor Piazzolla, and four dances from Suite Huasteca that left guest touched. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra put on a culturally moving array of music demonstrating the unique sound of Latin America. By partnering with the LAA, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra engages Latinos and builds relevance to the ASO, as a life enrichment resource for the Latino community. |
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