Why I attended the Annual Meeting at the Hispanic Alliance

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending the annual meeting for the Hispanic Alliance in Greenville. I went to network and to get more information about what the organization is doing. This was the first event I have attended at the Alliance, and it will not be the last.

My connection with the Hispanic Alliance may come as a surprise to some, but it may make more sense when I explain what led up to it. I was actually introduced to it by Darian Blue. You may remember him in his role as head of the Phillis Wheatley Association, but the conversation about the Hispanic Alliance arose because of a project of the church he pastors, Nicholtown Missionary Baptist Church. The church is purchasing 200 bus passes to give to people in the community, and the members of the congregation were encouraged to ride with the passengers and get to know them.

This project was announced in the morning service on January 17, a day when my wife and I happened to be visiting. After the service, I spoke with Pastor Blue. Pastor Blue had mentioned previously the problems with access to transportation for people with low income and for the African American community, but he told me that day that access to transportation is a pressing need for Hispanics in particular. He mentioned the 9 month transportation study done in Greenville by the Piedmont Health Association in 2015, and he mentioned Adela Mendoza of the Hispanic Alliance and her work on the study.

I reached out to Ms. Mendoza and offered to help in any way I could. She told me that there are two great needs in the Hispanic community-safety and access to transportation. The big priority on transportation right now is to fund and implement the recommendations of the transportation study. I asked her about volunteer opportunities to help alleviate the need for transportation. She raised a possibility that we are looking into right now. I will let you know more details as plans become firmer.

The biggest strength of the Hispanic Alliance is its network of volunteers and organizations. The Alliance builds bridges between Hispanic communities, service providers, and the general community. Ms. Mendoza recommended that I get to know the network and connect with people I can help on the transportation issue and with other needs. That is the other thing I am working on now with the Hispanic Alliance, and that is why I attended the annual meeting.

I will write another post, hopefully this week, on what I learned and my impressions at the annual meeting. I have some other things in the pipeline, including pieces on immigration, the connection between national politics and the local community, and an interview with Darian Blue on racial diversity in churches. Stay tuned!