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Melizabeth Santos partnered with the Chicago-based U.S. Soccer Federation to use old jerseys worn by Team USA players and turn them into masks for frontline workers.
Taking sewing lessons from her grandmother and mother since the age of five, this project requires Santos to combine her two biggest passions: sewing and soccer. Santos is making 500 masks, some of which will go to former national team players who have become frontline workers. Do you know a Latino Making a Difference on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief efforts? Share their story at https://americanlatinomuseum.org/LMD/.
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(Washington, D.C.) – Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS), a national advocacy campaign striving for the creation of a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum, announced three new members of the organization’s board of directors. Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, entrepreneur and community leader Jorge A. Plasencia, and global advocate Claudia Romo Edelman have joined the board to advise on development and public affairs during a pivotal year for the campaign.
“We are honored to have these three amazing leaders and advocates join us in our mission to honor the impact and influence of American Latinos throughout our nation’s history,” said Danny Vargas, Chairman of the FRIENDS board. “We look forward to tapping into their combined talent and leadership to get us over the finish line this year with approval of the National American Latino Museum Act.”
Representative Ros-Lehtinen is living proof of the impact of Latinos on American history as the first Latina elected to Congress. She served for almost three decades as a member of Congress representing diverse areas in South Florida, and during her tenure championed the push for a Latino Museum as the original Republican sponsor of the legislation to create a museum dating back to 2004.
“I am thrilled to continue to support this important initiative as a member of the FRIENDS board,” said Rep. Ros-Lehtinen. “From our work in Congress to move this legislation forward in 2004, to reaching milestones today, we are closer than ever to our goal of creating a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum to preserve and celebrate countless contributions of American Latinos for future generations.”
Jorge A. Plasencia has been named one of the world’s top marketing and communications leaders by PRWeek and one of the most influential U.S. Hispanics by Poder. He is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Republica Havas, one of America’s leading creative, media, and communications agencies, and formerly served as the corporate vice president and operating manager of Univision Radio and as board chair of Unidos US, the nation’s largest Hispanic advocacy organization.
“The time has come to bring the American Latino Museum in Washington, DC to fruition,” said Jorge A. Plasencia. “The historical, current, and future contributions of Hispanic Americans to the fabric of our nation will continue to run deep, and I am proud to join the board of the Friends of the American Latino Museum in its noble and important mission of making this longtime dream a reality,” he added.
Claudia Romo Edelman is the founder of the We Are All Human Foundation, a New York-based non-profit foundation dedicated to advancing an agenda of equity, inclusion and representation. A Mexican-Swiss diplomat, she has worked on humanitarian causes for 25 years with organizations such as UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
“Stories from our community have been excluded for too long from our nation’s museums and history books,” said Claudia Romo-Edelman. “Every American, and future generations, deserves to see the contributions from centuries of Latino and Latina leaders to our great nation; these are Hispanic Stars. Most importantly, these stories and exhibits must receive the same level of exposure and visibility on our National Mall as part of the Smithsonian Institution of museums in Washington, D.C.”
“For more than a decade our campaign has advanced steadily through the tireless work and volunteer hours of leaders from the civil rights, business, arts and political sectors. We could not have gotten this far without their heart and commitment to this historic initiative,” said Estuardo Rodriguez, President and CEO of FRIENDS. “Our newest board members have demonstrated throughout their careers a passion for lifting up the American Latino experience and we are honored to have their time and commitment. I look forward to working with each of them.”
With over 295 bipartisan cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 27 in the Senate on bicameral legislation, the push for a museum to recognize over 500 years of American Latino history that has been left out of the Smithsonian Institution is closer to reality than ever before.
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Jovita Carranza is the 26th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She was previously, the Treasurer of the United States. A true American dream success story, this Chicago native, had a distinguished 30-year career at UPS, where she rose through the ranks from part-time box handler to become the company’s President of Latin America/Caribbean (the highest-ranking Latina in the history of UPS). The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Washington state just a week after she was sworn in on January 14th. Less than two months later, the bill authorizing the first trance of emergency coronavirus relief was signed into law, which included $20 million to help the SBA make $7 billion worth of disaster assistance loans. Subsequently, the CARES Act, singed on March 27, established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and as a result, the SBA so far has facilitated nearly 4.5 million loans to small businesses and nonprofits, totaling more than half a trillion dollars, via more than 5,500 lenders. This is by far, the largest financial initiative in the history of the SBA. To learn more about the PPP program, visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program. To learn more about SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, visit https://www.sba.gov/person/jovita-carranza/. |
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Veronica Velasquez, 27, is a DACA recipient and physical therapist at a Los Angeles community hospital. Her job has become riskier as the number of coronavirus patients rises. She is one of about 27,000 DACA recipients working as doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health care workers.
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Karen Garcia is a mother of two, DACA recipient, and registered nurse at a hospital in central Phoenix. The people in her care are suspected of having COVID-19 but must spend eight hours in the holding area, separated from their loved ones, as they await testing results. Health workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic response and as such are exposed to hazards. According to the World Health Organization, hazards include pathogen exposure, fatigue, and psychological distress, among others. Garcia continues to proudly show up to work every day. “I’m a nurse, and my patients need me,” she said.
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Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Justin Sepulveda and his nonprofit Clutch City Connect, provide resources to the homeless community and at risk youth in the Greater Houston area. They have delivered hundreds of care packages with socks, food, water, hand sanitizer wipes, hygiene products, and several other essential items.
“I’ve noticed that resources are becoming more and more scarce for our homeless community,” said Sepulveda. “It’s a blessing to be in this position that allows us to help others.” Visit their website at https://clutch-city-connect.squarespace.com/ |
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Xenia Paravalos is a teacher in the Brentwood Union Free School District in New York. She created and delivered bags of groceries to families in her community that were impacted by COVID-19. She also worked with a grocery store in her native country of El Salvador to create bags with essentials and had her uncle deliver them to families in need.
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Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone, co-owners of Peruvian Brothers, transformed their business model to keep their staff employed and launched a campaign to provide free meals to those working on the frontlines. Every $10 donated to their fundraiser provides one meal to COVID-19 first responders. Over 8,600 meals have been delivered to date. Visit their webstie at https://www.peruvianbrothers.com/
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Lisseth DeGracia is a nurse at Children’s Minnesota and previously served as an ER Nurse at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. When the COVID-19 crisis hit New York hard, this single mother from Shakopee, MN heard the pleas from NY Governor Cuomo during a press conference and decided she had to help. This brave and selfless healthcare professional on the frontlines said, “Anybody who has the skill, the background, has the availability and the opportunity to do it, should do it.” She took a leave of absence to volunteer for a 13-week tour at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, the hardest hit hospital in NYC. She will need to quarantine for 14 days when she returns. While it’s a long time to be away from her children, she says it’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. Click here to read more about Lisseth’s story – https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/minnesota-nurse-heads-to-new-york-city-to-answer-call-for-help
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(Washington, D.C.) – In line with its mission of lifting up the untold and often overlooked stories of the American Latino community, Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS) has launched Latinos Making a Difference (LMD), a national digital campaign to highlight everyday people and prominent leaders in the Latino community who are taking action to help their communities and the nation in the face of the global pandemic.
“For over 500 years, Latinos have played an instrumental role in shaping and strengthening the United States; from serving in every war in our nation’s history to having a positive impact in every crisis we’ve ever faced. The same is true with the current global pandemic,” Danny Vargas, Chairman of Friends of the FRIENDS board. “Part of our mission has always been to tell the stories of Latino contributions throughout our history and today. We want to spotlight ordinary people doing extraordinary things, important leaders in key roles and uplift our nation in these challenging times.”
The Latinos Making a Difference campaign aims to shed light on the many Latinos in America taking action to help those impacted, from making masks and providing meals to essential workers to fundraising for a family in need and serving on the frontlines. Nominate yourself or someone you know to be featured by visiting https://americanlatinomuseum.org/LMD/.
“Latinos are among the hardest hit by COVID-19, experiencing higher health and economic disparities than the overall U.S. population. Yet, despite these challenges, our community continues to work across essential industries, they show up and do their part to keep the nation moving forward,” stated Estuardo Rodriguez, president and CEO of FRIENDS. “We hope this campaign provides the well deserved recognition that many of these innovative and committed individuals deserve.”
