The Latin American Community Center

AUGUST 2010

NCLR Affiliate of the Year The Latin American Community Center has been named the 2010 National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Northeast Regional Affiliate of the Year. NCLR has 40 northeastern affiliates in 10 states and Puerto Rico. The award includes a $5,000 donation to the agency This is the third time the LACC has been honored; the LACC was previously the Northeast Regional Affiliate of the Year in 2004 and 2006. NCLR is the Nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, and is the premiere voice in Washington, D.C. for Hispanic Americans.

Welcome Dr. Denise Berte (formerly Michultka), the new director of the LACC Mental Health Program. Dr. Berte received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Delaware From 1997 to 2000 she was the director of the LACC’s Domestic Violence Treatment Program. Since then, she has worked in the Philadelphia area as the director of the Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture and the Clinical Director at Lutheran Children and Family Services. Welcome back, Dr. Berte.

ArtAddiction Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjWPOlXZsHY for a slideshow of the 2nd Annual ArtAddiction Exhibit at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (DCCA). For the second year, The Latin American Community Center invited individuals 16 years old and older to submit an artwork to express the theme of addiction and recovery. Congratulations to winners of the juried exhibit:

1st Place: Eduardo Carrera – with “I Remember”
2nd Place: Lara Modelski – with “Rebirth through Suffering”
3rd Place: Juan Otalvaro – with “Drugs are the ashes of your life, it is time to get up”

Honorable Mention for Content: Irma Gonzalez – Seabury with “The Cry for Help”
Honorable Mention for Visual Impact: Luisa Ortiz with “Self-Portrait Vanity”

For more information please contact Ana C. Velasquez at (302) 655-7338 x 7696 avelasquez@thelatincenter.org

The LACC Mentoring Program connects youth in grades K-5 with an mentor after school once a week. Mentoring takes place at the LACC or at school and consists of one hour of homework help and a fun activity. It is not necessary to be bilingual. For information, contact Nicole Gonzalez, Telephone 302-655-7338, ext. 7711. Email: NGonzalez@thelatincenter.org

Identity Theft Workshops for Seniors Thanks to a grant from Wachovia Foundation, the LACC is offering workshops for seniors and their caregivers on preventing identity theft. Workshops are in English and Spanish. Contact Keyla Rodriguez, (302) 655-7338, Ext. 7746, Email: KRodriguez@thelatincenter.org

Read Aloud Delaware seeks volunteers to share the joy of reading with preschool children at the LACC’s La Fiesta Early Development Center. Volunteers will read to one child at a time for up to 15 minutes per child, depending on age. Reading times are Monday – Friday, 9– 11 a.m. or 2 – 3:30 p.m. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, and anyone over the age of 18 must complete a fingerprinted criminal background check. To learn more, visit www.readalouddelaware.org and click on the Volunteer button

Gratitude/Muy Agradecidos The Latin American Community Center is grateful for its many supporters. Without them, there would be few services at the LACC.

Mil Gracias to the sponsors of the LACC Grand Ball, A Night in Buenos Aires, set for October 1, 2010: Bank of America, Comcast, Delmarva Power, NCC Executive Chris Coons and Nemours Health & Prevention Services. Contact Carlos De los Ramos, Telephone 302-655-7338, Ext. 7707, Email: cdlosramos@thelatincenter.org

The Youth Computer Building Program and Junior Tech Club will continue thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation and a $5,000 grant from Boeing Employees Community Fund. Wilmington Trust will provide funds to replace worn carpeting with anti-static tiles in two Youth Computer Labs. A $12,138 Byrne Grant from the Delaware Criminal Justice Council and a $3,050 gift from the Wilmington Flower Market will replace outdated computers in the labs. The used computers will be rebuilt and upgraded by LACC youth, who earn the right to take a computer home.

The Lee y Seras Family Literacy Program is supported by a $10,000 grant from ING Direct Kids Foundation and a $2,000 grant from Target.

A $50,000 grant from Bank of America Charitable Foundation supports LACC family and education programs. Additional funding includes a $5,000 grant from the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation, a $2,500 gift from the TD Bank Charitable Foundation, a $1,000 grant from WSFS Bank and $500 from Artisans’ Bank.

A $55,000 Community Development Block Grant award from the City of Wilmington will be used for facilities improvement.

Mark Your Calendars for Friday, October 1, 2010, for the LACC Grand Ball A Night in Buenos Aires...A Night of Tango, at the Waterfall Conference Center in Claymont, Delaware. Contact Carlos de los Ramos, (302) 655-7338, ext. 7707, Email: CDlosramos@thelatincenter.org

Tune In to the LACC Radio Show Latin Beat, every Sunday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on WDEL 1150 AM News Talk Radio