To help the region learn more about NKY’s fast-growing Latino community and learn how to better serve and support, Theresa Cruz is speaking to the Florence Rotary Club today on “Understanding the Latino Community in Northern Kentucky”
Cruz is founder and CEO of FIESTA NKY, a nonprofit dedicated to serving the Latino community. In 2019, Theresa started working under the Statewide Family Engagement Collaborative grant with the Prichard Committee of Academic Excellence through Learning Grove, focused on building relationships between families and their child’s school.
The organizations recognized the importance of family engagement to children’s success and how, if families are actively involved in their child’s education, it benefits not only the child, but the family, educators, schools, and community.
As part of the initiative, Learning Grove provided ESL classes and parent education to Hispanic families at schools in different districts. They encouraged families to be more involved in their child’s education, asking them to participate in SBDMs (School Based Decision-Making councils) and Parent Teacher organizations.
The families were in need of basic necessities, resources, and services just to survive – how can these families be asked to be part of the PTO or an SBDM when they can’t put food on the table? How can they be active participants in their child’s education when they don’t have secure housing? It wasn’t that they didn’t care, as so many educators mistakenly think, it’s that their priority is helping their families survive and thrive.
Theresa Cruz (Photo provided)
As the Hispanic population in Northern Kentucky grows, the need for community partners to band together to meet their unique needs in a culturally relevant and appropriate way also grows.
From these identified needs, FIESTA was born. FIESTA — families, inclusion, education, society, tradition, and access — is a grassroots, non-profit organization focused on serving the needs of the Hispanic community, aiming to help families build capacity and self-sufficiency.
As part of her talk, Theresa will present a call to action: “Our organization depends on donations to provide food, clothing, and diapers to families in need. To assist in our mission, she will ask that the Rotary of Florence host a diaper drive for FIESTA. They are in need of sizes 3-7.
Guests who want to join the club for lunch, should RSVP here. The meting will start at 11:45 a.m. at the Northern Kentucky Area Development District on Spiral Drive in Florence.
