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Covenant Hispanic Leader Attends Prayer Breakfast
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 9, 2003) - Hugo Otoala, executive director of Santa
Barbara Community Development Center (SBCDC) in southern California, was
among hundreds of Hispanic leaders invited to a May 15 National Hispanic
Prayer Breakfast with President George W. Bush as part of an effort to
bolster faith-based ministries.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), House Democratic Leader Nancy
Pelosi (D-CA), and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson also
addressed the second annual event held at the Capital Hilton and sponsored
by the Philadelphia
faith-based organization, Nueva Esperanza.
Nearly 36 million individuals of Latino heritage make up more than 12
percent of the nation's population. In the last decade the number of
Hispanics increased by 35 percent and is estimated to increase by an
additional 18 percent by 2005. With a wide range of cultural backgrounds,
Latinos represent a variety of needs, but also have grown to become a
powerful economic and political force. In an effort to serve a community
beset by challenges, Latino faith organizations have emerged at an
unprecedented rate throughout the American landscape and the government has
tried to address their needs with the annual prayer breakfast and planning
sessions. The recent event, held May 15-16, coincided with the announcement
of innovative partnerships and organizations that would further bolster
Hispanic communities.
Thompson and the Rev. Luis Cortes Jr., president of Nueva Esperanza,
jointly announced a new partnership that will increase education about AIDS
within the Hispanic faith community. Cortes also announced the creation of
Esperanza USA, a new Hispanic organization that is an extension of his
Philadelphia faith-based community development
corporation. Bush has given support to the organization, which was given
grant money through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Otoala said that SBCDC has received help via two government-sponsored
entities. SBCDC is part of the Hispanic Capacity Project, a three-year
effort coordinated through the connections of Nueva Esperanza. Funds came
through Esperanza USA grants that are part of the Compassion Capital Fund
Demonstration Program. SBCDC has also been selected by the Connections for
Tomorrow Project to participate in the Connections for Tomorrow (CT4)
Capacity Building Program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
The Hispanic Capacity Project is designed to assist more than 600 Latino
faith and community-based organizations over a three-year period. The
project goals include helping organizations strengthen administrative
structures, improve training, provide technical services and improve their
means of securing funding from public and private sectors.
In addition, the project will annually award small grants to participating
Latino organizations in each participating region through the Capacity
Development and the Strategic Leverage funds. Grants will be tied to each
group's progress and achievement.
In the first year, the project will target Latino communities in five
regions: Southern California, the New York Metropolitan Area,
Southern/Central Florida, Delaware and Lehigh Valley/Southern New Jersey,
and the Seattle and Washington state region. In all, 138 faith-based
organizations will benefit from the project in year one. In year two, the
project will expand to include Midwest ministries. In the third year two
additional regions, Texas and an area yet to be determined will be added to
the project.
Otoala said the Pacific Southwest Conference has five California
organizations, including SBCDC, which will benefit from the Hispanic
Capacity Project. They include Bernabe Community Development Center in
Downey (under Daniel Anabalon and Brad Reed); Pacto de Nueva Vida in
Wilmington (under Reynaldo Garcia); Nueva Esperanza in Simi Valley (under
Roberto Ghione) and Nuevas de Gozo Covenant Church in Lennox (under Teodoro
Carreras).
For more information on the Hispanic Capacity Project, visit the project
link on the Nueva Esperanza web site at www.esperanza.us. For more
information about the Hispanic faith-based ministries receiving funding
from the Hispanic Capacity Project, call Walter Contreras at the Pacific
Southwest Conference at 925-677-2140.
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