Many nonprofit organizations in our Central Oregon community were forced to forego major scheduled fundraising events as the global pandemic unfolded. With restrictions still place statewide, even events that were originally rescheduled have had to be put off even further, or cancelled completely. This is the case with an event we were proud to sponsor: the Latino Community Association’s annual Gala de Oro.
Originally planned for April of this year, and then rescheduled for July, the Association’s leadership team ended up cancelling the 2020 event due to continued restrictions on large gatherings. Committed to keeping community members safe is their first priority, and they will be pursuing other avenues to fundraise throughout the fiscal year.
The work that the Latino Community Association is doing in our community is invaluable. They provide an essential con
necting point for our Latino immigrant community in Central Oregon. Before – and even more importantly during – the pandemic, they have been assisting community members to help meet basic needs with their Immigrant Relief Fund.
Many other programs are run by the association such as translation services and help with critical concerns like taxes, housing, medical services and employment. They also help people with their citizenship journey and help with language learning opportunities. All this on top of celebrating the rich Latino culture and tradition in our community!
The association will hold its annual luncheon on December 3rd. At this time, the fundraising team is working to secure sponsorships for the event, with a goal of holding it in person at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bend. Their plan B is to create a virtual setting for the event. In the meantime there are plenty of opportunities to give.
- Volunteer opportunities: Volunteering can help increase the Latino Community Association’s capacity to serve, while also “providing bilingual support for community projects, increasing people’s skills and knowledge by way of direct experience, facilitating cross-cultural exchange, and developing new community leaders.”
- Donate online: The group is currently running a fundraising campaign for its COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund. It is no secret that Latino populations in our area have been hit quite hard by the crisis, and this fund provides basic support for these families. You can donate funds to help people pay rent, utilities, grocery bills and more.
We hope you’ll join Brooks Resources in supporting the Latino Community Association’s mission of empowering our “Latino families to thrive, creating opportunities for advancement and building bridges that unite and strengthen us all.”
