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Cumbre Capital
connecting Latino agencies, building
Latino communities
September 2, 2009
Vol. 1, Issue 2 | |
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Letter from the Executive Director
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 Dear Members, Partners, and Friends:
Beginning September 15th,
the Latino Federation joins in the national celebration of Hispanic
Heritage Month. Recently we've seen landmark progress for
Latinos, notably Sonia Sotomayor named as the first Latina to the U.S.
Supreme Court. Nevertheless, our community still faces
daunting challenges -- in education, housing, health
disparities, employment and wages -- made more difficult with the
continuing economic decline. As public and private funding opportunities dwindle,
the Federation is working to ensure that the region's Latino community
and Latino-serving agencies receive an equitable share of
resources. Upcoming LFGW events include training workshops on how
we can advocate for budget allocations and grant funding. Working
together, we can ensure a fair share of support that reflects the
growing and permanent presence of Latinos in Maryland, Virginia and the
District of Columbia.
In the meantime, we hope you will join us at one of the many
cultural events held during Hispanic Heritage Month. Our music,
dance, theatre, food, art and story-telling reveal the remarkable saga
of the Latino people and our roots in the Americas, Africa, and
Europe. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Saludos,
Rodrigo B. Leiva
Executive Director
Latino Federation of Greater Washington
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| Member Services: Community Outreach Tent at Latino Festival |
On
Sunday, September 27, the Latino Federation will sponsor its Annual
Community Outreach Tent at the 2009 Festival Latino in the Ward 1
neighborhood of Mount Pleasant. LFGW provides space
free-of-charge to 12 member agencies that want a table at the
event. "The purpose of our Community Outreach Tent is two-fold,"
said Martha Bazurto, Director of Membership Services at the
Federation. "First, participating agencies will have the
opportunity to publicize their programs to potential clients, provide sa mple
services such as blood pressure readings, and recruit volunteers.
Second, Festival-goers can learn more about the participating member
organizations and all the services and resources available in the
community."
With an estimated 30,000 attendees, the Latino
Festival is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event celebrating Latino
culture through music, dance, food, theatre, literacy, health
expo, children's stage, and more. The LFGW Community Outreach
Tent will be a centralized location where participating LFGW
member organizations share space to provide a "one-stop" option
for Latino families seeking information about culturally- and
linguistically-accessible services.
LFGW
provides logistical support and orientation to participating agencies
including booth set-up and promotion. On the day of the Festival,
LFGW staff erect and supervise a separate Latino Federation Tent under
which participating agencies and prospective volunteers can meet.
After the Festival, LFGW staff conducts a brief assessment of the
Community Outreach Tent to gauge the level of success in terms of
number of participating agencies, number of visitors, and number of
possible volunteer recruits.
Only
a few spaces are left under LFGW's Community Outreach Tent -- to
reserve your spot, contact Martha Bazurto by phone (202-328-9451) or
email (mbazurto@latinofederation.org). |
| Advocacy: AU Students Learn Community Organizing First-hand |
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In
August, the Latino Federation of Greater Washington teamed up with
American University to conduct a community needs assessment and
outreach campaign in Ward 1. The 21 participating students and
their supervisors were part of AU's "Freshmen Service
Experience," working closely with the Federation's Advocacy
Program to conduct outreach to continue strengthening the capacity of
the Latino community in Ward 1.
LFGW
staff provided an orientation to the students about the principles of
community organizing, strategies for building a grassroots advocacy
campaign, and the use of community-based research to generate
information by and for the people. Newcomers to the District, the
rising AU freshmen learned about the cultural roots of Latinos in Mount
Pleasant, Adams Morgan, and Columbia Heights as the genesis for so many
Latino nonprofits in Ward 1. They also learned to make
connections between the historical context of Central America's years
of civil war in the 1980s and the predominance of Salvadorans,
Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans in DC today.
Armed
with their maps, questionnaires and water bottles, the students then
went knocking door-to-door, visiting businesses, interviewing
households, and striking up conversations with men and women on the
street. "I saw how really diverse Washington can be," said one
student. "It's so different from where I went to high school, and it's
a big reason I decided to come to AU. I also got to use my
Spanish and I realize how friendly and open people are." The
students' outreach efforts touched hundreds of Ward 1 residents,
helping to publicize free events and contribute to a sense of community.
"This
was a powerful learning experience for everyone," said Juan Carlos
Ruiz, Director of Advocacy and Community Organizing. "We showed
that with a little creativity, we can empower our community, learn from
others, and build a stronger city. The students generated a lot
of excitement and energy. And 17 of the 21 students are coming
back to volunteer with us in September at another community event. So,
yes, it has been a huge success."
For
more information on American University's 2009 Freshmen Experience
featuring the collaboration with the Latino Federation, please see AU's
website article on the "Satisfaction of Service". |
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Research: Facts about Nuestros Abuelos y Abuelitas
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 This
month's Spotlight features Vida Senior Centers (formerly EOFULA) and
their efforts to address a wide range of issues that have detrimental
effects on the ability of elderly Latinos in the District to live
independently, maintain a healthy lifestyle, access health care, and
self-manage their chronic health
conditions.
We include here are some statistics that shed light on Latino seniors in DC:
- The percentage of both the U.S. and the District Latino population is predicted to increase from 13% today to 22% by 2040.
- Legal elderly Latino immigrants are much more likely to live in poverty than the general U.S. elderly population.
- In 2008, 88% percent of Latino elderly in the District had monthly incomes of $600, 63% below the poverty threshold.
- In D.C., over 65% percent of Latino seniors live alone compared to 45% of the District's total senior population.
- Approximately 75% of Latino seniors depend on Medicare and Medicaid for health insurance and 13% have no health coverage.
- In a 2005 LFGW health study, almost one third (32%) of seniors
had not seen a doctor in over two years; the main reason for not
accessing healthcare services was cost.
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Latino seniors attending Vida Senior Centers are 4.4% of the total senior population in the District of Columbia
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Vida seniors come from 19 Latin American countries: 39% from South
America; 38% from Central America; 13% from Mexico; and 10% from the
Caribbean.
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Thirteen percent of Vida seniors need assistance performing at least two key daily living activities.
- Language barriers act as a functional impairment to accessing needed services for nearly all Vida Senior Centers participants.
- The average Vida senior is a 78-year-old Latina, living alone
on a monthly income of $600. She takes an average of 5
medications daily and manages 1-2 chronic conditions.
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| Member Services: "Going Green" with the Cool Capital Campaign |
 The
Latino Federation is partnering with the Cool Capital Campaign to
reduce our carbon footprint and improve the quality of life for our
Latino community. In the past, LFGW has promoted
environmental awareness within the DC Latino community by providing
technical assistance in marketing, outreach, and lightbulb distribution
for agencies such as the CITGO-Venezuela Energy Efficient Lighting
Program and the United Planning Organization. As part of our
on-going efforts, LFGW is sponsoring a "Going Green" booth at the 2009
Festival Latino where staff from the Cool Capital Campaign will provide
information on steps to reduce levels of carbon emitted by an
individual, a family, and a community.
Visitors
to the "Going Green" booth can take the Cool Capital Challenge to see
how much they can reduce their carbon footprint and how much money they
can save. Kids will have the opportunity to learn about recycling
and conserving our natural resources with hands-on recyclable crafts
provided by LFGW. The LFGW urges everyone to drop by the booth and take
the Cool Capital Challenge. If we all do our part, even a small
one, we can change the world!!
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| Spotlight on Vida Senior Centers (formerly EOFULA) |
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 For
almost 40 years, it was called EOFULA, a funny-sounding name that
didn't really convey the critical role this agency has played in
enriching the lives of older Latin Americans in DC. In celebration
of four decades of service to a multicultural community,
they changed their name to Vida Senior Centers.
"Every
year at Vida Senior Centers, we care for more than 600 low-income
Latino and other seniors who come through ours doors as if they
were our own parents and grandparents," says Angel Luis Irene,
Executive Director of Vida Senior Centers. "That's why we
call all our aging participants 'abuelo' or 'abuelita' as a term of
endearment." About 70 seniors come to the center each week to
find a multicultural, bilingual family with whom they can share life
stories, exercise, share a meal and receive an array of holistic
services that enhances their well-being and provides them an
opportunity to age in place with independence and dignity.
Vida
is planning to expand its facilities to include a 36-unit residential
facility in Brightwood. The innovative housing program would
promote the concept of "active aging" by allowing seniors to move from
their DC homes to Vida's facility. "Keeping our elders in the
community --the synergy that it creates in the community would be
tremendous," says Irene.
There
are many ways to support Vida's innovative programming. Vida will
host its annual gala fundraiser on October 27, 2009 at the Embassy of
Finland and tickets and sponsorships are available. Vida
volunteers are essential to keeping the wrap-around services available
and donations are always welcome.
The Latino Federation is proud to have Vida Senior Centers as a member agency. | |
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Rodrigo Leiva
Executive Director
Latino Federation of Greater Washington
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