After years of gathering at space donated by others, the Hunterdon Hispanos organization now has a place to call its own.
The group Wednesday evening celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters at 47 E. Main St.
Among about 50 people touring the 1,000-square-foot site were members of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, Frenchtown Mayor and Hunterdon County Freeholder Ron Sworen; Mayor Bob Hauck, Council President Erica Edwards, Councilwomen Linda Mastellone and Michelle Oberst and Councilman Mark Hain, as well as Assemblyman Erik Peterson, R-23rd District.
The group of about 20 volunteers has a mission to bring Hispanic residents of Hunterdon County together through opportunities for cultural celebration and to promote inclusion for Hunterdon's Hispanic population by facilitating access to the information and resources needed to fully participate in the community.
"I feel extremely proud of my community and my volunteers that we have gotten to the point that we have been able to put a key in the door, turn on the light, turn up the heat and open our door," said Carol Perez, president of Hunterdon Hispanos. "Now, others can come in to us and share the vast resources we have been able to mobilize through partnerships. We can now take those riches and give them out to the community."
The new space includes a main room to teach classes; a smaller room for board meetings; a computer room with 12 Internet-accessible computers; and a children's play area. About 80 people are expected to utilize the space regularly, Perez said.
Programs that will be taught at the new facility include English as a Second Language, also known as ESL, instruction and computer classes to teach clients about utilizing the Internet.
Chris Phelan, president and chief executive officer of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, said, "I think the new building is a great thing, the Hispanic population is growing -- we can look at the different programs and partner with the organization, such as in work-force education and other training programs. It will definitely do a lot of good."
Jorge Rosas, vice president of the organization, said the Latino population can benefit from learning how to use the Internet to help create their own Web sites, find jobs and communicate with families overseas via Web chat.
Rosas said many of the people served by the Hunterdon Hispanos organization previously lived in Central American countries and didn't have the same services available to them in the U.S.
"They didn't always have the guidance to live in the community at large," Rosas said. "Sometimes, there was an education deficiency, which came from a bad situation and put them on a lower rung. There is a need to guide them. What we're trying to do is teach them and help incorporate them into the community."
Rosas said that in Central American countries it is common to use bicycles to travel. After one man from that region was hit by a car and seriously injured while riding in the borough on a bicycle, Hunterdon Hispanos decided to start a bicycle-safety course in partnership with the county-based Latino Healthcare Access Committee.
The class, which teaches the rules of the roadway, also will be available at the new building. The space in the future also is expected to be utilized for the arts -- singing, dancing and performing. On Saturdays, the Hunterdon Hispanos organization also hosts a fruit-and-vegetable drive at a local church to benefit the organization's clients.
The organization also is in partnership with a private soccer league and embarks each winter on an annual coat drive in the community.
"Cultural expression - we want to continue to foster that," Rosas said.
Three members -- Kelly Ospina, Judith Buday and Andrea Choc - in 2005 thought of the idea to begin the organization through a countywide, bilingual newsletter they sent out to county residents.
The newsletter discussed many things, including: where to get help in an emergency, healthcare, cultural events and other programs. In 2000, according to the U.S. Census, there were 3,371 Hispanics living in Hunterdon County. In 2008, that figure jumped to 5,539 Hispanics.
With population growth, the newsletter also expanded -- from one page to 16 pages -- with several people wanting to contribute articles. The articles spurred a need for programs and services. In 2008, Hunterdon Hispanos received status as an official nonprofit organization.
Today, the newsletter, titled, "La Voz de Hunterdon," is a bilingual publication and continues to be mailed monthly. Funds for such programs and services have been raised through various fundraising efforts, including an annual Cinco de Mayo gala, advertising, private donations and corporate grants. Rosas said the organization will apply for future state, county and corporate grants to keep the programs running.
Ospina, who lives in Flemington, said the new building fulfills a large portion of her original vision when she decided to start the organization four years ago. She credits the many volunteers that have joined her in making the new headquarters a reality.
"It was a dream come true to see our vision become a reality," she said. "This was everything we wanted to do back then that we thought we never would be able to do. It goes to show the power of teamwork."
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