Hogar History The following documents detail the history of Hogar Hispano, chiefly seen through fundraising documents and grant proposals. Update and Fundraising Appeal Thanksgiving, 2001 Companeros, Since opening our physical plant in March of this year, Hogar Hispano has focused on La Cooperativa Hispana, a growing labor cooperative. La Cooperativa performs catering, yard work and cleaning services. Initially, La Cooperativa cleaned only homes, but in recent months has established a foothold in commercial cleaning with contracts at Jewelsmith and Kappa Delta Sorority. We also enjoy a budding business relationship with Emerson Waldorf School where La Cooperativa maintains the physical plant. Hogar Hispano is pleased to announce that its tool-shed is full of cleaning and yard-care equipment. We are very grateful to Susanne Vergara for donating her Mazda 626. You may have seen the vehicle's magnetic signage advertising Hogar Hispano and Cooperativa services. Although La Cooperativa is not yet self-sustaining, an increasing number of cooperants make regular donations to Hogar Hispano to further our enterprise. Currently, La Cooperativa employs five full-time cooperants and a dozen part-time collaborators. We anticipate additional rapid growth when weekly mowing resumes in mid-March. Hogar Hispano also serves as an "employment clearing house," enabling latinos to circumvent the "cut" taken by employment agencies and businesses like Polly Maid and Maid Brigade. On average, Cooperativa workers earn $11.50 per hour, the federal government's designated "living wage" for a family of four. (Please let us know of any employment opportunities that come to your attention.) Over the last six months, Cooperativa members have mastered bulk tamal production. Together with other delicacies on the menu -- chiles rellenos, guauzontle, posole, sopa de cola de res, and tacos de cecina La Cooperativa now caters private parties and institutional events. La Cooperativa also provides demonstrations of Mexican cooking. On December 15th, Hogar Hispano conducts its First Annual Las Posadas, a culinary/cultural event with live music and Latin dance instruction - at Chapel Hill's Emerson Waldorf School. Recently, La Cooperativa enabled one of its members to rejoin his family in Mexico after spending four long years "en el norte." Señor Nuñez now operates a business in Las Choapas, Vera Cruz, where he is assisted by his son Ulises, a computer science student. Uli is the proud owner of Hogar Hispano's first donated computer. This story is particularly touching in that Dad was a desamparado street urchin from age 9 'til 14 when apprenticed by a compassionate tailor. I look forward to visiting the Nuñez family when I visit southern Mexico in mid-March. I'm particularly enthused that Oscar Renee Velasco, a professional graphic designer (and lead guitarist/vocalist for the Latin fusion band, Grupo Camaleón) will lead Hogar Hispano's Digital Skills Center, located in two rented classrooms at 216 Governor Burke Road, Hillsborough, NC. Please help upgrade our six work stations so Oscar can begin thrice-weekly classes in cutting-edge computer skills. As demand for instructional service rises, computer professionals Blake Cambey and Tyler Dockery will coordinate additional learning opportunities. Once Hogar's workstations have been upgraded, we will launch a modest digital recording studio that's integral to webcasts based on a "Latin music/phone-in format." These webcasts will be supplemented by news, commentary and bedtime readings from "Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal," and "El León, la Bruja y el Armario" by C. S. Lewis. Thanks to Oscar Velasco, Paul Llanos, Donald O'Leary and Tyler Dockery for laying the groundwork of this exciting project. Hogar Hispano also welcomes Señora Lourdes Falcon -- an entrepreneur, Latin dance instructor and community activist -- to its teaching staff. To support La Cooperativa Hispana -- and to bring Hogar Hispano's Digital Skills Center "on-line" -- please send your tax-deductible donation to Hogar Hispano, 216 Governor Burke Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. ¡Mil gracias! Gratefully, Alan Archibald Director Hogar Hispano *** (The following e-mail announcement - March, 2001 - resulted in donations of $1000.00.) Greetings, Hogar Hispano announces the opening of its education/service center at Holy Family Catholic Church, 216 Governor Burke Road, two miles north of downtown Hillsborough. Hogar Hispano rents adjacent classrooms in HFC's Community Center. As soon as Hogar completes renovation of Prospect Hill's Warren Clinic, a satellite agency will continue to operate at Holy Family. An article about Hogar Hispano will appear in this Wednesday's News of Orange (March 21st). By week's end, this article will be accessible at Hogar Hispano's recently renovated website www.hogarhispano.org I'm attaching a flyer that La Cooperativa Hispana recently distributed throughout Hillsborough's Historic District. La Cooperativa Hispana, a Labor Cooperative created by Hogar Hispano, is dedicated to yardcare, housecleaning and cooking/catering. (Some "live-in" elder care may also be available.) Our workforce is currently comprised of 18 women and men. Please share this information with family, friends and associates interested in our service. Although La Cooperativa's initial focus is Orange County, we welcome steady contract work farther afield. (Several of our cooperantes live in Siler City.) Hogar Hispano is also happy to announce its affiliation with The News of Orange which will begin publishing regular "Cuentos Populares" on March 28th. Editor Jim Mulick is enthusiastic about his newspaper's role in distributing these bilingual accounts - gathered from latino immigrants - as part of Hogar Hispano's "Oral History Program." Hogar Hispano currently enjoys two state-of-the-art computer workstations and several older machines. We look forward to creation of a computer-based sound studio where Hispanics -- in collaboration with Guanajuato-born Paul Llanos -- will record music. (If you wish to donate serviceable, internet-ready computer equipment, we will make sure it finds a good home.) Also on "the computer front," Hogar Hispano is scheduled to install broadband service. In addition to general facilitation of computer function, broadband facilitates MP3 transfer. The availability of MP3 downloads at Hogar Hispano has been of tremendous interest to latinos, even those wary of "la computación." The ready entrée to the Hispanic community made possible by MP3 transfer, nourishes Hogar Hispano's commitment to computer-aided education. Hogar Hispano also looks forward to Spanish language "netcast programming" by year's end. Many thanks for your continued support. Gratefully, Alan Archibald PS As always, we value your donations of time, treasure and talent. *** (The following fundraising letter - June, 2000 - resulted in donations of $4000.00.) Greetings, Hogar Hispano, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, needs $10,000.00 to serve central North Carolina's Hispanic community on the campus of the original Prospect Hill Clinic building. · Imagine a family of migrant workers traveling north. Upon entering the United States, the language barrier converts simple tasks into hard, uncertain work. Scam artists take advantage of the unwary. Often, employers refuse to pay Spanish-speaking workers, confident that cultural and linguistic barriers will prevent protest. · It is difficult for migrants to locate housing. When they do, conditions are deplorable. The inflated cost of housing cuts deeply into the meager savings which migrants remit to family members "back home." Often, these remittances are the only source of cash income for loved ones south of the border. · When medical emergencies arise, timely transportation is difficult to arrange. Clinics and emergency rooms are routinely staffed by caregivers with marginal Spanish skills. · On those occasions when migrant families travel together, parents are often reluctant to enroll their children in school. Reasons for this reluctance are legion --- the cross-cultural chasm, the absence of academic traditions, the constant upheaval that characterizes migrant life and the perceived need to put children to work "to make ends meet." Enter Hogar Hispano which offers needed services in a spirit of buoyancy and hope. Our primary mission is to provide educational, occupational and residential opportunities to recent immigrants from Latin America. We emphasize empowerment, skill acquisition and self-determination. Hogar Hispano is different from many Hispanic service agencies by being located in the countryside where migrant families actually live. Our physical plant is located across the street from Prospect Hill Medical Clinic, 25 miles north of Chapel Hill where Caswell, Person, Orange, and Durham counties converge. Both Hogar Hispano and Prospect Hill Medical Center hope to develop ever stronger links between our two organizations. To begin on-site operations, Hogar Hispano will position a portable structure on the old Prospect Hill Clinic campus this summer. By the end of our first year we will begin refurbishment of the original clinic building, providing needed space for expanding operations. We are working with Hispanic labor brigades in the Prospect Hill community under the guidance of a general contractor to assist in this refurbishment. Such volunteer labor allows us to estimate the total cost of refurbishment at between $30,000.00 and $40,000.00. The refurbished building will not only house Hogar Hispano, but will also provide a weekend venue for Prospect Hill Clinic, and a convivial meeting place for the residents of Prospect Hill. Hogar Hispano wishes to express its gratitude to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church (in Hillsborough, NC) for repeated donations over the past two and half years, and to the teachers, parents and students of Chapel Hill's Emerson Waldorf School who have planted a 20 tree orchard on the grounds of Hogar Hispano to honor the agricultural roots of those migrant workers who put food on our tables. We admire their initiative. Please contact us if you wish to share your time, talent or treasure. Our vision depends on your participation. We look forward to sustained collaboration. Gratefully, Alan Archibald Executive Director Hogar Hispano Phone & Fax: (919)644-1364 E-mail: alanarchibald@mindspring.com You may support Hogar Hispano by sending your tax-deductible donation to: Hogar Hispano 216 Governor Burke Road Hillsborough, NC 27278 *** Bell Blackburn Deviance from the Norm Fund In early August, 2000, the "Bell Blackburn Deviance From the Norm Fund" (administered by the Triangle Community Foundation) awarded Hogar Hispano $2000.00. We are very grateful to Bell Blackburn and to the TCF Board member who recommended Hogar for consideration. *** Waldorf School/Hogar Hispano Orchard Project Hogar Hispano is indebted to Chapel Hill's Emerson Waldorf School for planting a 20 tree orchard on our campus in Prospect Hill, North Carolina. Seventh grade teacher, Mr. Peter Moyers -- and his class of 17 students -- decided to use proceeds from this year's fund-raising efforts to purchase nursery stock, soil amendments and mulch. The orchard represents students' desire to honor the agricultural roots of the migrant workers who put food on our tables. The orchard also connects Waldorf students to Hogar Hispano's growing work with North Carolina's migrant community. The entire seventh grade class -- assisted by four dedicated mothers -- planted the orchard on May 24th and May 26th, 2000. The beautifully deployed orchard surrounds Hogar Hispano's physical plant, and consists of 3 Santa Rosa, plums, 1 Shiro plum, 2 Stayman Winesap "compspur" apples, 2 Granny Smith "compspurs," 2 Red Delicious "compspurs," 2 Liberty apples, 2 Criterion apples, 1 Gala apple and 1 Braeburn apple. Carpathian walnuts flank the entranceway. All stock was chosen for disease resistance and proven fruitfulness in central North Carolina. Based on local experience with the varieties which were selected, we anticipate no need to apply insecticide or fungicide. All produce will be available - free of charge - to Hispanic migrants and to other interested community members. Mr. Moyers and several Waldorf parents have expressed interest in continuing our collaboration in the future. In addition to gracing us with the gift of the orchard itself, Hogar Hispano wishes to thank the Waldorf community for its vision and creativity. The "Hogar Hispano Huerta" -- the "Hispanic Home Orchard" -- exemplifies the type of grass-roots multicultural initiative which Hogar places at the heart of its mission. *** Holy Family Gift Hogar Hispano extends hearty thanks to Holy Family Catholic Church of Hillsborough, North Carolina, for its generous gift of $1000.00. *** Migrant Computer Program Hogar Hispano operates a computer-aided education center at 216 Governor Burke Road in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Oscar Velasco, a professional graphic designer working in RTP, is in charge of computer instruction, although he is assisted by Blake Cambey, Donald O'Leary (founder of DOL Technologies - www.doltechnologies.com), David Bellin and Alan Archibald. Hogar Hispano's next major computer initiative will be to netcast a regular program of music, news and commentary. On August 17, 2001, Hogar Hispano sent its first computer to Mexico. Hogar Hispano "computer graduate" Lino Nunez - and former Labor Cooperative member - will use this computer as an educational and telecomunications tool for residents of Las Choapas, Vera Cruz. Hogar Hispano's Computer-Aided Education Center donates used computers to Hispanic families with children enrolled in area schools. To become eligible for a free computer, at least one family member must demonstrate the ability: 1.) to word process 2.) to navigate the Web 3.) to create a personal web-page. Hogar Hispano provides training in all three areas. If you wish to donate new (or used) internet-ready computer equipment to Hogar Hispano, please contact: alanarchiblad@mindspring.com |
