FUNDS HELP LATINOS EN SPOKANE BETTER SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY
By Dean Henrich
SPOKANE – Latinos en Spokane is dedicated to empowering Latino immigrant families and supporting the progress of Latino community members, leaders, business owners, and organizations in Spokane. Recognizing the importance of addressing internal and external systemic barriers to create a fair and just community, SNAP eagerly partnered with Latinos en Spokane to support their efforts.
“We received funding to collaborate with EDI members, (SNAP’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council), We have formed a close partnership with Latinos en Spokane, who identified improved technology as one of their major needs,” explained Nicole Bishop, SNAP’s Strategic Partnership Coordinator. “We granted them $10 thousand to upgrade their equipment, benefiting our entire community.”
Latinos en Spokane focuses on fostering citizen participation, integration, community development, and empowerment among the Latino population in Spokane.
“This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthen partnerships and enhance the capabilities of organizations representing marginalized communities,” Bishop said. “The new technology provided has enabled Latinos en Spokane to expand their reach. Currently, they are hosting driver’s education and homebuyer education classes. However, their goal is to broaden community access to technology. They plan to offer classes for small businesses and adapt to emerging needs.”
Jennyfer Mesa, Executive Director of Latinos en Spokane, expressed gratitude for the support they recently received, highlighting the positive impact on their English classes and driver’s education courses.
“Thanks to this funding, we were able to modernize our electrical wiring and enhance our facilities with a ceiling projector, drop-down screen for our classroom space, and a smartboard for our meeting room,” Mesa said. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to the SNAP team!”