January 2013 March 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1 Inside this issue: Telling Our Story... 1 A few words from our director LCM Here s What s Happening... Adult Education 2 1 2 Telling Our Story. A Legacy of Creating Pathways to Opportunities Volunteer Corner 3 Volunteer Opportunities 3 Founded in 1971, the Latino Center of the Midlands is the only Latino-led organization serving the Omaha community for over 40 years. The center was founded as Chicano Awareness Center, Inc. That remains the legal name of the corporation. Many in the community still refer to us as El Chicano. The center is a popular storefront along 24th Street in South Omaha we get many visitors every day. In 2012, we served 2,744 unduplicated clients. Come and help us honor over 40 years of serving our community on Monday, July 22, 2013 We will be celebrating A Legacy of Creating Pathways to Opportunities For so many Latino professionals in the greater Omaha community, our center was one of the first places of employment or board service. Today, we offer basic adult education classes, student advocacy and support, parent engagement activities, civic education, and assistance with other community services. For these and other reasons, our organization has a rich legacy in our community. At the Historic Stockyard Exchange Building with a reception at 5:30pm and a dinner at 6:30pm. Please contact us for more information at info@latinocenterofthemidlands.org Announcements 4 A few words from our director... It is with great pleasure that I present you with our first newsletter of the year! There is so much to inform you about there are updates on ongoing services, program successes and new activities. The first quarter of the year certainly got off with a strong push as we have been busy welcoming new and returning clients who came to us for income tax preparation and classes in adult basic education. We launch our work this year with a renewed focus on impact and our future as 2013 marks the first year in a three-year strategic planning effort. As we look at the future of Latino Center of the Midlands, we will work on expanding our impact in the following areas: (1) Financial Sustainability & Growth, (2) Operational Excellence and (3) Strengthening Advocacy. Please feel free to contact me anytime at cquezada@latinocenterofthemidlands.org or at 402-733-2720.
Page 2 LCM Here s What s Happening... Parent Engagement Activities The Youth Attendance Navigator (YAN) Program has convened parents and held a Family Night on Wednesday, January 16 at the South Omaha Library. Families in attendance were introduced to Joven Noble, a project that convenes adolescent young men ages 14-19 years. There were 6 parents from South High School in attendance at this meeting, which was facilitated by the Youth Attendance Navigator (YAN), Juliana Garza. At this meeting, Garza and parents discussed Joven Noble. We are grateful to the South Omaha Library for its ongoing collaboration. Joven Noble Joven Noble, Spanish for Noble Youth, is a 12-week series of workshops facilitated by Salvador Hernandez at the Latino Center of the Midlands. Salvador has previously led this successful California based program in San Jose, CA with at-risk young men. The program, structured to create circles of trust and support for young men, guides them through a series of topics that underscores rites of passage. The project has a strong focus on prevention of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and gang violence. Eight young men completed the first session. Please keep posted for new upcoming sessions! Legal & Immigration Technical Assistance - Free legal consultations. -Technical support on legal and immigration forms. -Immigration attorneys available Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. -Family & legal attorney available Tuesday mornings. Please come to the Center to make an appointment; all consultations at the LCM are free-of-charge. Tax Preparation Services Latino Center of the Midlands, in partnership with the EITC Coalition, provides tax preparation services and assistance with processing ITIN applications. Services are offered throughout the year. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (402) 733-2720. Adult Education GED Don t forget! Spanish GED classes begin in August! Register now!! Internet Classes begin on Saturday, May 25th & end on Saturday, July 13th, 9:00am-12:30pm.
Page 3 Happiness is helping others Help your community Become a volunteer today! Citizenship Class: We are looking for volunteers to teach a U.S Citizenship workshop. Classes are typically held weekday evenings. Assistants: Sometimes classes get a little full and the help of classroom assistants or tutors is much appreciated. We always welcome volunteers who are interested in helping students who need some extra assistance. Are you good at: painting, landscaping, crafts, organizing events, answering phones, teaching a class? Large projects can be scheduled for volunteer groups. Depending on your schedule, you can choose one-time projects, weekly or monthly projects. To volunteer, contact Silvia Velez at 402-733-2720 or by email at svelez@latinocenterofthemidlands.org May 22, 2013 Elliot Jacobson We are sad to see one of our great volunteers go, but we are very happy to see him grow! We will miss you Elliot! The students I have been able to work with are very hard working and their motivation to provide for their families shows through their dedication to improve their English. I will be enrolling into graduate school starting this summer so I will be unable to continue my current role as an ESL instructor for the next session of classes. I look forward to providing my support in the future. The Latino Center as well as South Omaha has a special place in my heart and I will continue to pursue more opportunities to assist the Latin American community. What s Coming Up... -Elliot Jacobson Joven Noble Sponsored by the Omaha Community Foundation Come and support us on May 22, 2013. Make your donation from home by visiting http:// omahagives24.org/. You are also welcome to come and make a donation from our computer lab!! Check out our Facebook page for updates on our events that day! New summer session coming soon! Keep posted and sign up for more information! Internet Classes begin on Saturday, May 25th & end on Saturday, July 13th, 9:00am- 12:30pm.
Page 4 Special Thanks to All Participating Sponsors! We would like to express our gratitude to all of the sponsors who made our December event A Joyful Christmas / Alegría Navideña possible. The event was held on December 14, 2012 at the Intercultural Senior Center in South Omaha. Family Sponsors Socorro Adrada Dazmi Castrejon Leticia Crisman Jim & Denise Cunningham LCM Board of Directors MYLPA Pablo Robles OFC Indoor Soccer Tony Vega Freddy Washington Emiliano & Shannon Lerda MILLENIUM CASTREJON LAW OFFICE Immigration Criminal Defense HALL Estetica The Master Las NeNa s Beauty Able Therapy Pasteleria Gely s Maria Barrientos Alfa & Omega Therapy Vandenbosh Law GRACIAS! Blessed are those who give without remembering and Michelle Brennan receive without forgetting. THANK YOU!
Page 5 LCM Board of Directors Rev. Ernesto Medina President St. Martha s Episcopal Church Yvonne Sosa-Gaytan Vice President Douglas County Public Defenders Office Brian Gross Treasurer Financial Design Team Julie Knutson Secretary Baird Holme Law LLP Ruben Cano Norris Middle School Maria I. Garza Heritage Financial Services Nancy Huston Teacher Emeritus, OPS Judith Monarrez Diaz-Kelsey University of Nebraska at Omaha Shirley Najera Westberg Cox Business Virgil Patlan Retired Omaha Police Officer Tadd Pullin Nebraska Medical Center Amy Thomas SAC Federal Credit Union Maria Vazquez Metropolitan Community College Mark Foxall Douglas County Dept. of Corrections. Like us on Facebook! @Latino Center of the Midlands & Follow us on Twitter! @LatinoCenter1 Would you like to receive our newsletter? Sign up by sending us your email address at: info@latinocenterofthemidlands.org 4821 South 24th Street Omaha, NE 68107 Phone: 402.733.2720 Fax: 402.733.6720 Website: latinocenterofthemidlands.org; E-mail: info@latinocenterofthemidlands.org