El Amanecer The Sunrise
The official newsletter of the Spanish American Center
January, 2019
A message from Mickey & a Note from Neddy:


As the year begins we wish to acknowledge, with our most sincere gratitude, the dedication of our staff, volunteers, board and you! Yes, you- our donors, clients and colleagues, as you all make the mission and vision of the Spanish American Center possible through your interest in maintaining the quality of life here in our community. It is with this spirit of thanks that I'm happy to report about the following events and activities at the Center:
  • our Board of Directors has three new, enthusiastic members, they, along with our current Board, elected a new slate of officers during our December meeting.
  • our food pantry continues to fill a strong need for supplemental food item we expanded our eligibility criteria in order to offer assistance to any Federal employees affected bu the government shut down.
  • we participated in two separate winter clothing donation programs
  • Domestic violence intervention and advocacy continues - We held a memorial vigil in Fitchburg. We continue to be a center for support for families in crisis with this issue.
  • We participated in the Giving Tuesday campaign (you may have received our campaign letter). Donations are appreciated any time of year but we feel a responsibility to our funders and to our clients to do all we can to sustain our programs and services through responsible and responsive fund raising (for which we have a dedicated committee made up of volunteers, staff, advisors and Board members). We continue to receive and are very grateful for donations and the donors who send them.
  • .We thank UMMHAC Hospital for donating $500 in gift cards to be used for urgent client needs. ¡Muchas gracias!
  • We were happy to welcome SAC Director Neddy Latimer back at the end of December; while she is away in February, I will continue to assist with administrative tasks as Acting Director to ensure a smooth transition. Here is Neddy's New Year's message to you all:

  Dear Friends,
      As I think of all of you celebrating the New Year 2019, I also hope that you are all enjoying an abundance of health and happiness. We are all very grateful for the blessings received this past year. It’s been a year of many challenges, great opportunities, weekly events and a potpourri of celebrations. Personally, I wish everyone a Happy New Year, good health and prosperity. 
     I became very ill in October and I am still out of work, recovering and doing much better these days. I recently showed up at SAC in order to try to get some fresh air, to receive any correspondence and to review my many emails. SAC, under the leadership of Acting Director Mickey Guzmán, continues to be strong, fulfilling the center’s mission. I want to thank the SAC Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers for their overall commitment to the center. It is because of everyone’s support that we’ve managed to continue carrying out our mission.  
      Participation in all of our programmed services also continues to be consistent and I am very excited about the many lives we have impacted. I look forward to returning to work when I am officially medically cleared .

=   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =
 
Estimados/as Amigos/as,
       Mientras pienso de todos ustedes celebrando las Navidades y el Año Nuevo, también espero que tengan muy buena salud y sigan alegres. Todos estamos agradecidos por la bendiciones recibidas este año pasado. Ha sido un año de muchos retos, gran oportunidades, eventos semanales y un popurrí de celebraciones. Personalmente, les deseo a todos un Feliz Año Nuevo, buena salud y prosperidad. 
         Estuve muy enferma en octubre y todavía estoy fuera de trabajo, recuperando y poco a poco mejorando. Recientemente, estuve en el Centro para tratar de recibir aire fresco, recibir la correspondencia y para fresh air, y para revisar mi correo electrónico (email). El Centro, bajo la dirección del Director Interino Mickey Guzmán, continua fuerte, cumpliendo con las missiones del Centro. Deseo darles las gracias a la Junta de Directores, al personal y a los voluntarios por su apoyo y su gran compromiso hacia el Centro. Es por el apoyo de todos que hemos podido lograr continuar nuestra misión.             
      La participación en nuestros servicios programados continua consistente y estoy muy contenta de todas las personas que hemos impactados. Espero regresar a trabajar cuando sea oficialmente y medicamente permitido.  

Sincerely/Sinceramente:

Neddy Latimer, Director
Mickey Guzman, Acting Director
News from the Board of Directors of the Spanish American Center - 2019
New Year - New Board Members and Roles!

As of the December, 2018 board meeting, a new executive committee was elected to the Spanish American Center. We are pleased to announce our new Executive Committee: Ms. Migdalia Velez, President, Ms. Silvia Taurino, Vice President, Mr. Richard Letarte, Treasurer, and Ms. Cheryl Boissy, Clerk/Secretary.

We are also pleased to introduce our three newest directors: Ms. Jessie Olson, Ms. Eladia Romero and Dr. Alberto Cardelle. Ms. Olson is event manager at Fitchburg Art Museum and a good friend of the Spanish Center, Ms. Romero is Regional Manager
for Congressman Jim McGovern, and Dr. Alberto Cardelle is Provost and Vice President of Academic affairs at Fitchburg State University . All have expressed a desire to assist the Center with its vision of providing excellent social programs and services to best serve the Hispanic community in North Central Massachusetts. We are thankful that they have chosen to join us in our important mission.

Our remaining Board members are Luz Torres, Lionel Reinford, Ruby Vargas, Leona Whetzel and Mary Yanneth Bermudez Camp. We thank all of our directors for their years of dedicated service to the Spanish American Center.

¡Bienvenito! Welcome!
A greeting from our new Board President, Ms. Migdalia Velez

J anuary, 2019
Hello Everyone,
It is with great excitement, pride and honor that I have accepted the nomination for President of the Spanish American Center’s Board of Directors. I am a past employee of the Center (my position was coordinator for youth and family services), and have been an active member on the Board of Directors for over 6 years.
For over 50 years, the Spanish American Center has kept an open door policy in servicing anyone who comes through its doors with needs of hunger, shelter, immigration, language and cultural barriers, educational needs, and many other needs that traditional programs may not be able to assist with.
I have been on many journeys (in regards to servicing families) with our dear executive director Neddy Latimer that have taught me to help others with humility and compassion. I have counted these work ethics first and foremost in helping others.
The Board of Directors of the Spanish American Center is a board committed to improving the lives of the Latino / Hispanic communities, and any other community members in need of help. I am proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to working with my Fellow Board Members in continuing to make our Spanish American Center a place where our communities feel welcomed, respect, and valued.

Hola A Todos,
Es con gran alegría, orgullo, y honor que acepto la nominación como Presidenta de La Junta del Centro Hispano Americano. En el pasado, trabaje en el Centro en capacidad de coordinadora de servicios para jóvenes y la familia, y por 6 años, he sido miembro activo de la Junta de Directores del Centro.
Por más de 50 años, el Centro Hispano Americano ha tenido una póliza de “puerta abierta” en proveer servicios a las personas que entran por sus puertas con necesidades de hambre, albergué, emigración, idioma y barreras culturales, necesidades educativas, y muchas otras necesidades que programas tradicionales quizás no pueden  suplir.
Durante mi tiempo en el Centro como empleada y en ayudar a personas con multiple necesidades, aprendí muchas lecciones con nuestra querida directora ejecutiva Neddy Latimer sobre humildad, respeto, y compasión. Siempre cargo esas éticas de trabajo en mi diario vivir y en ayudar a otros.
La Junta del Centro Hispano Americano se compromete en ayudar a mejorar las vidas de las comunidades Hispanas/Latinas, y todas las comunidades en general que necesiten ayuda. Con orgullo soy parte de este esfuerzo y en trabajar con los otros Miembros de la Junta en continuar los esfuerzos necesarios para que nuestras comunidades se sientan bienvenidas, respetadas y valoradas.

Migdalia Velez, President
Spanish American Center Board Of Directors
Worcester County Sheriff's Office Coat Drive
Donates to Spanish American Center
December 5, 2018 - We were very pleased to host Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella as they delivered coats, hats and winter clothing to the Spanish American Center for needy adults, teens and children. Below are photos of the SAC staff, clients and donors. We are always grateful for your donations and for your outreach to the Center. Thank you Mr. Mayor for your very kind words about the Center and the work we do. On behalf of the clients we assist - Muchas Gracias!
CTCT-20181206_102531
CTCT-20181206_102547
SAC Food Pantry eligibility expanded to include Federal Workers affected by lengthy US Government Shutdown.

January 11, 2019       Emergency Notice
Any Federal Employee affected by the government shutdown who is experiencing financial hardship is welcome to utilize the Food Pantry Program at the Spanish American Center, 112 Spruce Street, Leominster .”Any employee in need is welcome” per Neddy Latimer, Executive Director. “We are here five days per week, Monday thru Friday” Also, we have Wednesday and Thursday Soup Kitchen supper meals, which are free of charge. All are welcome. It would be our pleasure to assist the Federal employees who have been unfairly penalized with payless paydays.”
If anyone has questions about participating in either program, please call the Center at 978-534-3145 or e mail us at: info@spanishamericancenter.org
The Spanish American Center’s Community Food Pantry is funded through private donations, The Worcester County Food Bank , The United Way of North Central Massachusetts and others. SAC is a certified non-profit agency in Leominster. (Hopefully this shut-down has been resolved, but we stand ready to help in the event of any changes).
United Way of North Central Massachusetts has stepped up with support to The Spanish American Center and other programs who have expanded their traditional services in order to assist Government employees affected by the shutdown. The Center would like to extend its gratitude to UWNCM for its unsolicited grant to us of $10,000.00 for our community food pantry and supper/breakfast programs and financial hardship assistance for Government workers. ¡Muchas Gracias! Many Thanks!
In photo above, representatives from the Montachusett Area Rotary Club present a donation to community agency representatives here in Northern Worcester County, including a donation of $250 to the Spanish American Center for help with our food pantry and anti hunger relief programs. We are pleased to have been chosen as recipients of this shared gift! ¡Muchas Gracias!
Thank you to students and faculty of the Winchendon School for their recent donations to the Spanish American Center.
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Thank You for your donation of $500 in Gift Cards!
Media Sponsor for 2019
The Spanish American Center thanks our corporate sponsor, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
We are the 
Spanish American Center -
Sirviendo Nuestra Comunidad
Serving Our Community -
for over 50 years!
Thank you for reading.

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