Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury launches the Hispanic Immigrant Integration Project

Danbury, CT – Jan 23^rd, 2014 – Thanks to a grant by the Hispanic Federation, which was made possible by the Walmart Foundation, The Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury has launched the Hispanic Immigrant Integration Project.  The initiative will help to facilitate the integration of Latino immigrants into their communities.  Families who qualify will be provided with civic classes and application assistance for citizenship, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and family petitions for free of charge.
The city of Danbury is undergoing a significant demographic evolution, resulting in a pressing need for communitywide planning and development in the delivery of comprehensive integration services. Demographic, economic, and social forces have continued to bring immigrants of all backgrounds to the City of Danbury, and their integration into the community remains a major issue that warrants attention.
Danbury is a city of immigrants, the 2007-2011 American Community Survey estimates that 24,555 (30.7%) of the City’s population are foreign born, 16,552 are not yet Naturalized citizens.
This clearly highlights the need for affordable, accessible immigration services in the Danbury area. A substantial amount of our population are in various stages in the legalization pathway, and will require an array of services – ranging from DACA assistance, family-based petitions, and Citizenship assistance. Which the Hispanic Immigration Integration Project will enable the Center to provide.
“Our vision is to serve as the multi-cultural center of Danbury because as immigration cycles and waves change the immigrant and integration experience does not” Stated Andrea Contreras, the Center’s Interim Executive Director.
“Danbury’s immigrant population has more than doubled in the last ten years.  This holds significant economic and social implications for the progress and well-being of our City.  The funding from the Hispanic Federation will allow us to address the community’s need for immigrant integration. Our Program seeks to educate, mobilize, and integrate the immigrant community in the decision making process.  We will achieve this through naturalization, civic integration, and voter education and mobilization activities.”
The Hispanic Immigration Integration Project will be serving over four thousand immigrant families across the country. Service areas include Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
The Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury Inc. Mission “We serve, We Educate, We Engage, We Advocate.”  We carry out our mission by assisting the Latino and other ethnic communities immerse and succeed in the social and economic mainstream of Connecticut.

http://www.hispaniccenterofdanbury.org/

 

 

CT Nonprofits Internship Program

is accepting applications for the 2014 legislative session.

•  See how state government works firsthand
•  Work with public policy specialists across all issue areas of the nonprofit sector
•  Expand your education through our Center for Professional Development skill-based trainings.
•  Build relationships that can last a lifetime

Are you a graduate student or undergraduate student with:

• at least 60 college credits.
• interested in a career in government, policy, membership development, or nonprofit management
•  Motivated and willing to take on responsibility
•  A Connecticut resident

If you answered yes to these questions, then apply now.
Questions? Contact Jeff Shaw at 860.525.5080 x 27 or jshaw@ctnonprofits.org
 

 

The Connecticut General Assembly’s Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC) has an opening for a Legislative Analyst. Excellent State of Connecticut fringe benefits package available. For more information visit our Facebook page. For application Instructions: Please send resume, cover letter, and salary history to be received no later than January 22, 2014 to: Werner Oyanadel, Latino & Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, 18-20 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106

Rep. Matt Lesser Named by Jewish Ledger as one of the year’s “Movers & Shakers”  

State Representative Matt Lesser, 29, is serving his third term in the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he is assistant majority leader. Lesser was first elected in 2008, while he was a student at Wesleyan University – young enough, in fact, to participate in a Birthright trip, encouraged by the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT). In 2012, he won reelection for his current term while successfully battling cancer.
A native of Greater Washington, D.C., Lesser is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who fled Nazi-occupied Europe on foot, making her way to Argentina. His mother escaped the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla and immigrated to the U.S.
Lesser’s political CV already reads like that of a much more seasoned elected official. He chairs the Legislative Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, serves on the Energy & Technology Committee, and is Democratic ranking member of the Internship Committee. He previously served on the Education Committee, where he was named a “Children’s Champion,” and on several other committees and task forces. He has sponsored legislation relating to health and voting rights, and is working to strengthen Connecticut’s public campaign finance system.
Since 2010, Lesser has served as vice chairman of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
 

      

• 88% of students who have enrolled in the Escalera Program have successfully completed and graduated from high school.  In Hartford, the high school completion rate for Hispanics is 53.4%, according to the State Dept. of Education.
• 87% of Escalera Program graduates have chosen a path to upward economic mobility by enrolling in postsecondary institutions.  Escalera graduates are persisting in college past year one at an average rate of 89%.  In CT, 16.9% of Hispanic high school graduates were attending college, according to the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.
• The 2011 graduating cohort of the Escalera Program earned a combined total of $779,675 in scholarships.

Connecticut Health Foundation Names Its  New Class of  “Health Leaders” 

The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) recently selected 19 Health leaders to participate in its ninth Health Leadership Fellows (HLF) Class.

 This 10-month program is focused on the development, practice, and application of leadership skills to the complex issue of health equity for people of color in Connecticut
“Effective leaders are essential for elevating health equity as a priority issue in Connecticut,” said Lina Paredes vice president of program. “The class offers many opportunities for leaders to grow and expand their skillset to bring them closer to success.”
Participants are selected through a competitive process, and complete a ten-month intensive program. This year’s class includes:
A dentist fluent in Spanish who advocates for all Spanish-speaking patients at the community health center where she works; a  nurse and long-time martial arts enthusiast whose passion for health equity was ignited with the tragic loss of her mother and aunt to esophageal cancer; and a public health specialist who came to Connecticut by way of Jamaica, and is motivated to relieve the ravages of racial and ethnic disparities across borders.
“I have so learned so much in the first three months of this fellowship, but one thing that truly resonates with me is that ‘optimum’ health care for all of Connecticut’s residents is complex and multi-layered,” says Karen Hatcher Sneed, President, Pequot Health Care/PRxN. Hatcher Sneed, a resident of Groton, is a seasoned healthcare executive interested in how population health management can improve the health and wellness of all racial and ethnic groups.
Members of the 2014 Health Leadership Fellows Class

• Andres Barkil-Oteo, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
• Linda Barry, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Connecticut
• Yolanda Caldera-Durant, MS, Senior Program Officer, Connecticut Health Foundation
• Diana L. Cardona, DMD, General Dentist, Community Health Center Inc.
• Tinashe Chapfika, DMD, General Dentist & On-Site Dental Director, Community Health Center, Inc.
• Darcey Lynn Cobbs-Lomax, MBA, MPH, Executive Director, Project Access of New Haven
• Wesley Eugene Dixon, Research Assistant, Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
• Rhonda R. Evans, Deputy Director, Connecticut Association for Community Action, Inc.
• Kevin Galvin, President, Connecticut Commercial Maintenance, Inc.
• Michael B. Greene, MPA, Health Program Assistant, Connecticut Mental Health Center,
  Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services
• Karen J. Hatcher-Sneed, MPA, President, Pequot Health Care/PRxN
• Meshie Knight, Program and Development Associate, Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
• Quiana Lewis, MPH, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Milford Health Department
• Rebecca Mizrachi, MS, Family Nurse Practitioner, Norwalk Community Health Center
• Mary Moran Boudreau, RDH, MBA, Executive Director, Connecticut Oral Health Initiative
• Meryl F. Price, MHSA, President, Health Policy Matters
• Rebecca Santiago, RN, BSN, Community Healthcare Navigator, Center for Health Equity
  Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center
• Brenda Shipley, MA, Project Director, Health Disparities Institute, University of Connecticut
• Sharon Taylor, Program Coordinator, CARE – Yale School of Public Health
• Lawrence Samuel Young III, MPH, Health Equity Fellow, Center for Health Equity,
  Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

At commencement in June, the class of 2014 will join the diverse and powerful statewide network of 160 Health Leadership Fellows.
Applications for the 2015 Class will be accepted in January 2014.  To learn more about the program, visithttp://www.cthealth.org/fellows-program/.
 
 

NBC CONNECTICUT ANNOUNCES A TOTAL OF $100,000 IN GRANTS FOR THREE LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

 
NBC Connecticut today announced a total of $100,000 in grants for three local non-profit organizations. The 21^st Century Solutions Grants will help to support high-impact, progressive programs that are moving Connecticut forward.
In partnership with the NBCUniversal Foundation, the 21^st Century Solutions Grant Challenge recognizes and awards innovative community programs in the categories of Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Media Arts and Technology.
The 2013 grant recipients and winning programs include: LEAP’s (Leadership Education and Athletics in Partnership) healthy living initiative that supplies underserved young people with educational tools for environmental studies, computer literacy training, and health; the YWCA of the Hartford Region’s YW Career Women program that supports female heads-of-household pursuing an associate degree in healthcare; and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford’s FIRST LEGO Robotics and STEM Programming for urban youth.
“NBC Connecticut is proud to recognize charities doing extraordinary work for people in need throughout our state.  The winning programs are tackling issues, finding solutions and making a difference through compassion and innovation. Their spirit is truly inspirational”, said Ric Harris, NBC Connecticut President and General Manager.
21^st Century Solutions Grant Challenge 2013 Winners
Leadership Education and Athletics in Partnership    $50,000
YWCA of the Hartford Region                                   $25,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford                                   $25,000
Launched in 2012, the 21st Century Solutions program supports initiatives designed to address emerging and ongoing community challenges in new and creative ways. By focusing on social innovation, the program encourages non-profit organizations to drive forward bold new ideas to make local communities stronger. Nationwide, the NBCUniversal Foundation has awarded $1.2 million in 21^st Century Solutions Grants in 10 markets served by the NBC Owned Television Stations this year.
NBC Connecticut is a media partner of CTLatinoNews.com and its Stephania Jimenez airs a weekly news report based on CTLatinonews stories.
 
 

                                   SCSU CIO NAMED TO LIST OF TOP 100 HISPANIC IT PROFESSIONALS                                                                                                              

            NEW HAVEN – Pablo Mollina, chief information officer at Southern Connecticut State University, has been selected as one of the top 100 most influential and notable Hispanic Professionals in the Information Technology industry by HITEC.
HITEC (Hispanic IT Executive Council) is a global executive leadership organization of senior business and IT executives. The “HITEC 100” were honored recently at a reception in Palo Alto, Calif. The award program is designed to recognize outstanding Hispanic IT leaders who are innovators in their positions, and role models for younger Hispanics in the field.
Mollina began his duties at SCSU last summer. He already has launched a CIO speaker series and expanded the hours of the university’s IT Help Desk. Among his goals are to continue the technological innovation on campus, as well as to help de-mystify the IT process for the campus community.

            He previously served as associate vice president for information technology and campus CIO at Georgetown University for 12 years.

ACCESS HEALTH CT UNVEILS MURAL CELEBRATING HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN BRIDGEPORT

 Access Health CT unveiled a community wellness mural today at Optimus Health Care in Bridgeport, where members of the community joined representatives from Access Health CT in a celebration of wellness and art. The community celebration included face painting and information about enrolling in health care through Access Health CT.
“Healthcare Reform isn’t just about getting people insurance for unexpected medical emergencies, it’s also about providing access to the preventative care and wellness programs that will help people become and stay healthier,” explained Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, co-chair of the Access Health CT board. “This mural is a creative way for us to express that commitment to building healthier communities.” 
The mural was created by Rafael Cornier, Jr., a Connecticut-based artist.
“I’m honored to work with Access Health CT and the City of Bridgeport and express the importance of wellness in a creative, artistic way,” said Cornier.  “This has been an exciting project and I hope it’s something the community will enjoy for years to come.”
Access Health CT will be in communities across Connecticut, hosting free enrollment fairs to provide information about how Healthcare Reform will impact you and your family, explain how you might receive financial help and provide assistance in enrolling for healthcare coverage through Access Health CT. To find an enrollment fair or an enrollment center near you, visit learn.accesshealthct.com/enrollment-centers. Enrollment is now open at www.accesshealthct.com, and all of the health insurance plans available through Access Health CT include preventative care and wellness programs. 

The Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies (CLACLS) of the University of Massachusetts Amherst promotes research, training, and public engagement on the histories, cultures, and politics of Latin American and Caribbean peoples across the Americas and throughout the world. Bridging the divide that historically has separated Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies as institutionalized knowledge formations with distinctive intellectual genealogies, political trajectories, and bureaucratic moorings at U.S. universities is central to our mission. The Center seeks to be a hemispheric, crossborder space for critical reflection, exchange, and intellectual production. We aim to engage in genuinely inter-disciplinary work, fostering the creative convergence of discipline-based knowledges. CLACLS is committed to sustaining links with Latin American and Caribbean communities in the U.S. and across the Americas, as well as to bringing the alternative knowledge produced in those communities to bear on our teaching and research. – See more at: http://www.umass.edu/clacls/#sthash.yng3Sebq.dpuf
To learn more:  http://www.umass.edu/clacls/
 

Latino Public Radio’s mission is to inform, educate and entertain the Spanish radio audience through the production and distribution of intelligent, high quality, cultural and educational programming that reflects the diversity of the Latino community.
To volunteer or learn more:   http://www.lprri.org/inicio

CBIA Works to Expand High School Internship Program

Executives from private industry called the CBIA internship program a success at a special breakfast meeting held on the morning of November 19th. The program has placed black and Latino students from Hartford Public High School Academy of Engineering and Green Technology into local companies, where the students have taken on challenging tasks and received extensive training. Participants praised the competence and work ethic of the students who have joined the program to date. CBIA is looking to expand the program to include more businesses and more students, and the group is issuing a call to inner-city businesses, including small, “Main Street” businesses to sign up. Those interested should contact Adam K. Ney, Assistant Director of Public Affairs for CBIA: adam.ney@cbia.com; 860-244-1933

                                                       

 

Rhode Island

With the powerful snowstorms southern New England has experienced in recent years, valuable life-saving information on how to be prepared.

When CAUGHT in a Winter Storm at home or in a building…

• Stay inside. Make sure you provide proper ventilation when using alternate heat sources such as a fireplace, wood stove, space heaters, etc.:
  -use fire safeguards.
  -properly ventilate.
• No heat:
  -close off unneeded rooms.
  -stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
  -cover windows at night.
• Eat and drink. Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Keep the body replenished with fluids to prevent dehydration. Non-alcoholic beverages prevent dehydration.

When CAUGHT in a Winter Storm outside…

• Find shelter:
  -try to stay dry.
  -cover all exposed parts of the body.
• No shelter:
  -prepare a lean-to, wind-break, or snow cave for protection from the wind.
  -build a fire to heat and attract attention.
  -place rocks around the fire to absorb and radiate heat.
• Do not eat snow. It will lower your body temperature. Melt it first.

For full details…visit:  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/oax/safety/beprepared.php.