The Latino Consortium for Action has announced the creation of a new Emergency Relief Fund which will benefit those most affected by COVID-19 in the Latinx community. LCA made the official announcement online through Madison365’s Facebook page on Friday morning.
“The fund will prioritize funding emergency relief for our most vulnerable populations – undocumented Latinx workers and small immigrant-owned businesses,” Baltazar De Anda Santana, executive director of the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, said in the video.
Fabiola Hamdan, chair of the Dane County Latino Children and Families Council, said that the Latinx population in Dane County has been marginalized because of national anti-immigrant sentiments, the burden of public charge legislation poised to deny citizenship status to immigrants who use public benefits, and a lack of access to a drivers’ licenses. “This has resulted in less trust and engagement between the Latinx community and formal system of support,” she said in the video.
Karen Menéndez Coller, executive director of Centro Hispano, said in the video that the Latinx community is uniquely vulnerable at this time. “Seventy percent are renters and 68 percent live in multi-unit dwellings, 34 percent fall below the poverty line and almost 2 out of every 5 work in the service industry in Dane County. Moreover, nearly 50 percent lack health care insurance coverage in the state of Wisconsin,” she said.
“Today, I am proud to announce that we have raised $235,000 in this effort,” she added. “Thank you to those who have contributed already including UW Health, UnityPoint Meriter and Quartz; SSM (Health); Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin; leadership at JH Findorff and Son; the CUNA Mutual Foundation and Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Emergency Fund.”
The Latino Consortium for Action is a coalition of leaders representing different Latinx organizations, professional associations and educational groups in Dane County. Members of the LCA include Centro Hispano of Dane County, the Latino Chamber of Commerce, Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Latino Health Council, Latino Education Council, Latino Children and Families Council, Latino Professionals Association, Latino Support Network, Common Wealth Development, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Voces de la Frontera – Madison, Unidos Against Domestic Violence, and Sunshine Place.
“I am proud that as Latino-led organizations we have come together to contribute to the efforts to support our city at this time,” Menéndez Coller told Madison365. “We want our community to know that we are in this together and that ensuring our collective well being will always be our top priority. Nunca están solos y siempre vamos a progresar, juntos siempre.”
To give to the Latinx Consortium for Action Emergency Relief Fund please click here.