There's just something about Olema Ramirez. After all, it's not every day you see a 98-year-old woman doing water aerobics at the local YMCA, but for the friends of Doña Olema, is just an ordinary day.

Every Friday morning, members of the LAA’s seniors program get together for educational, developmental and recreational activities. But on March 3, the usual routine was a bit different, as the day featured a celebration of Doña Olema’s 98th birthday. She is the senior’s program most longtime member.

Unfortunately, Latino families have not enjoyed the same access to homeownership as other Americans. Nontraditional sources of credit, lack of affordable units and information about the homebuying process, and other market barriers keep many families from becoming homeowners. But for the past few years, Washington Mutual and the LAA have worked together to remove these barriers for many low-income Latinos. What makes Washington Mutual a superb partner is its commitment to building a strong, vibrant Latino community and their understanding of the needs of that community.

Through its direct support of our homeownership program, Washington Mutual has made it easier for numerous Latino families to buy a home by offering products that increase purchasing options and by providing important information and other services in the homebuying process. They have helped our clients become more stable and continue to build their personal wealth. Additionally, volunteers from Washington Mutual have worked closely with the LAA staff and clients to provide important financial literacy information and support for our special events like the Annual Housing Fair. Washington Mutual was also there for our clients after Hurricane Katrina hit, stepping right in to provide critical emergency support for displaced Latino families helping them get back on track to a better life.The LAA is grateful to have partners like Washington Mutual that help those we serve become productive citizens and help us meet the daily challenges we face in changing lives.

Last summer, representatives from the LAA and Woodward Elementary School, located on Curtis Drive in Atlanta, met to explore a partnership to enhance the school’s existing after school initiatives for Latino youth. Woodward serves over 650 students, 84% of them Latino. From the initial discussions, the LAA and Woodward outlined a partnership with the specific goal of providing students with a culturally adapted program to promote their academic success and an engagement component to increase parental involvement in the school. The resultant program, an extension of an existing partnership between The Atlanta Ballet and LAA’s Academic and Cultural Initiative, was launched this past fall and is currently running throughout the school year.

Now serving 160 students, the Academic and Cultural Initiative at Woodward Elementary provides a rigorous academic tutorial program, complemented by cultural education and dance. A new partner, Callanwolde, also eagerly seized the opportunity to supplement arts education in the school. The after school program has successfully enhanced Woodward's tutorial program to adjust to cultural considerations for the Latino population. Additionally, parents are now involved and are very pleased that extracurricular activities are being offered for their children.

Assistant Principal Karen Briggs says “our partnership with the Latin American Association has allowed us to achieve many of our after school program’s ultimate goals. Students are more engaged and have access to tutorials, extracurricular activities and other opportunities to help them overcome their academic and social challenges.” She adds, “Our parents are grateful that we have been able to meet one of their major concerns, which is for our school to provide after school activities for their children.”

Subsequently, parents are now much more engaged in the school and are coming more often to Woodward in general due to the partnership, access to LAA counselors and programs, and easier communication with their children’s teachers through a greater understanding of their culture. Parents are now encouraged by help offered by LAA through the partnership, as well. The LAA is not just involved with the school through its after school program, but also serves as a resource to families and the school’s administration to foster an understanding of how Latino families function culturally.

Still in its first year, the partnership is in its initial stages. Moving forward, Angela Rozo Patterson, Director of Youth Services at the LAA, says that she would like to further develop the after school component to cover four fundamental areas: a successful artistic and creative component; physical fitness and sports; social skills development; and most importantly academics. She notes that during this pilot stage of the program, next steps are being considered to further the program’s development into a comprehensive program for youth that also addresses the many needs of parents as they grow to understand the community resources and programs that are available to them.

Next year, the program’s capacity is expected to expand to 230 students. Clearly, as metro Atlanta’s Latino population continues to grow, innovative and effective partnerships between social service organizations and public institutions are proving ever more critical in addressing the needs of the community.

At the Latin American Association, our staff has always focused not only on helping individuals in need, but on providing essential services to strengthen the entire family. For nearly a decade, it would be hard to find someone who has done more for families than Mariela Galarraga.

Mariela, originally from Venezuela, works at the Hickory Lake Outreach Center in Cobb County as coordinator, where she works with a number of programs that serve families in the area, including an after school program for children, the Mami y Yo program for mothers and their babies, and services for women who are victims of domestic violence. She is also coordinating a new program, in partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital, to provide prenatal education for pregnant women. “It is really great to be able to see the changes and how we can touch lives,” she says.

Though Mariela began her work at the LAA in the finance department, she immediately knew she wanted to work directly with clients. She moved into a position in the Cobb office, and has been helping others, often mothers who are in the midst of a crisis, ever since. Mariela recalls getting a call late one Friday afternoon as she was leaving the office from a woman named Paula who was pregnant, had two children and was staying in a hotel. On a bus from Texas to Atlanta, the woman had fled from her husband, who had threatened to kill her with a machete, and had found Mariela’s number in some information she had been given at a shelter. Instead of going home, Mariela helped Paula, who had run out of money, to immediately get into a shelter and to eventually move into her own apartment.

But this was not the end of the story. Some time later, Paula called to say she had been pulled over by the police for driving without a license. Mariela dropped everything and went to her aid. When she arrived, Paula was in the back of the police car, and the police officer said he was planning to take her to jail and have her children taken from the home. Mariela quickly handed the officer her LAA business card, told him Paula’s story, and was able to have Paula released. It has been in those kinds of situations in which Mariela’s dedication to her clients has made a vital difference.

“The important thing,” says Mariela, “is to put your priorities first. “And for me, the priority is always the client.” As a mother of four, Mariela has sometimes had to sacrifice time with her own family to deal with the crisis of others. But her four children aged 16-26 have seen how their mother cares about people in need, and Mariela proudly says they are growing up to be the kind of people who, like her, value family and want to help others.

Successes

NAMIC Computer Lab

On Thursday, February 2, 2006, the Latin American Association unveiled its second computer lab donated by the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC).  This lab, located at the LAA’s central office on Buford Highway, follows the November inauguration of the Harmony Station Outreach Center lab, where the LAA’s Gwinnett activities are based. 

The labs further reach NAMIC’s mission by providing students and parents in the community with increased access to the latest education technology and research tools.  The labs allow for the Latin American Association to better serve the Latino community of metro Atlanta by providing computer use to area Latino students and families who would not otherwise have ready access to PCs, Internet, and other learning tools.

PS Energy Pledges Support to LAA

As the Latin American Association prepares to kick off its 2006 Annual Fund campaign, one company has  already stepped up to show its support for LAA’s mission: PS Energy Group, Inc. The Hispanic-owned energy marketing company has made a $25,000 pledge to help further LAA programs that improve educational opportunities for Atlanta’s Latino children through after school and summer enrichment programs.

Livia Whisenhunt, CEO and founder of PS Energy Group, expressed her desire for Atlanta’s Latino youth to “see the possibilities and get the tools they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.”  Through the support of PS Energy Group the Latin American Association will continue to do just that: provide Latino youth with the tools they need to seize the opportunities before them and secure a bright future.  We are tremendously grateful to Ms. Whisenhunt and PS Energy Group for their generous contribution to the LAA.

Building Strong Families – “Construyendo Familias Fuertes”

Building Strong Families is a federally funded research program developed by the nationally recognized Gottman Institute taking place across the US for the enrichment of couples and families.  As part of a national project led locally by Georgia State University, the LAA was chosen as the only organization in the U.S. to conduct the classes and research in Spanish, demonstrating its level of ability and accomplishment in family services for Latinos.  The main goal of this program is to give parents and couples the tools they need to make a better family life in order for children to grow up in a secure, healthy home environment with two loving parents.  The Latin American Association continues to meet needs and build futures! 

Public Broadcasting Atlanta

On Thursday, March 2, the Latin American Association demonstrated its continual assistance to other non-profit organizations just as it did with the Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  

On this evening, LAA lent a helping hand to Public Broadcasting Atlanta (PBS) during its live broadcast telethon pledge drive featuring Benise, an acclaimed Latino musician.  Eleven LAA volunteers took pledges from PBA viewers and members during the telethon.  The Latin American Association thanks our friends at PBA for this opportunity to assist in this important effort to raise funds to continue as a learning resource for Georgia viewers.

Applause

Maritza Pichon, LAA Executive Director, was chosen as the 2006 MALDEF Leadership Award recipient in acknowledgement of her “exceptional leadership in empowering the Latino community.”  MALDEF expressed that it could not succeed in its important work of “creating an America where all immigrants have the opportunity to fully participate in society” without Maritza’s voice and leadership.  We are grateful to have her lead our team forward!

As the Latin American Association grows to continue to address the needs of the Latino community, it welcomes a number of new employees.  Greeting all clients that enter our doors, Jorgelina Roach joins our team as a receptionist.  The Family Services Department welcomes Grey Ordoñez and Sara Gregory as family service clerks, Christina Bermúdez as Building Strong Families cofacilitator, Marisa Gearhart as a family services caseworker, and María Fernanda Bermúdez as a domestic violence caseworker.  The Immigration Department extends a warm greeting to Natalie Schulhofer as an immigration clerk and Roberto López as a receptionist.  Carlos Berrios and María Cruz Martínez also join the Latin American Association on the Medicaid project.

The Latin American Association proudly welcomes four new additions to our family.  During January and February four LAA employees became parents of newborns.  Welcome onboard Norah Pearl Webb (daughter of Cassandra Webb), María Jose Prieto (daughter of María Paula Prieto), Daniel Aaron Hall (son of Edna Rodríguez), and Adrián Ismael Vélez (son of Eliezer Vélez)!

S.O.S. Network
The next time an emergency walks through our door, you can be the helping hand to respond...

A fourteen year old mother needs a crib for her newborn. The next day, one single person makes a difference in her life by donating a crib.

A family of four loses everything in a fire. The next day, another family of four donates beds for them to sleep in.

Our work is ongoing and arduous, but draws great inspiration from the selfless contributions of so many of our supporters. It is for this reason that we created the S.O.S. network—so compassionate individuals like you and your family can make a world of difference in an instant. So if you want to be the one to bring a blanket or a bed, baby bottles or a wheelchair, click here.

Latino Youth Leadership Institute for middle school students, May 6, - Latin American Association Headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia.
Join us as we honor outstanding leaders, companies, and organizations for their exceptional leadership in the community.

Career Expo, May 9, 2006 - Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, Georgia.
Be sure to attend this important event that for over 20 years has brought together Atlanta’s employers and bilingual job seekers. For more information please visit latinamericanassoc.org/careerexpo

Compañeros Awards Luncheon, May 18, 2006 - Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia
Join us as we honor outstanding leaders, companies, and organizations for their exceptional leadership in the community. For more information please visit latinamericanassoc.org/companeros