Latino Leadership Alliance now part of HCLV

About the Latino Leadership Alliance

Established over 25 years ago, the Latino Leadership Alliance has been dedicated to strengthening the Latino community through leadership development, education, health, and cultural activities. Their mission focuses on amplifying the voice and expanding the power of Latino leadership, engaging in policy and advocacy, and building partnerships to address racial equity affecting the Latino community. LLA's key initiatives include:

LLA's key initiatives include:

• Scholarship Fund: Since 2004, the "Nuestro Futuro Scholarship" has provided financial support to Latino students pursuing higher education, with 445 scholarships awarded to date.
• Community Engagement: Organizing events and activities that foster cultural pride, community involvement, and a united voice for the Latino community in the Lehigh Valley.

Impact of the Merger

By combining the expertise, resources, and shared values of both organizations, this merger will enable HCLV to offer more impactful services, expand outreach efforts, and address the needs of an increasingly diverse population. The collaboration will enhance HCLV’s existing programs while introducing new opportunities for community engagement and leadership development. “Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley’s merger will bring together two forces whose main goal is to uplift our Hispanic/Latino community and remove barriers to a better life. We are eager to begin offering college scholarships and continuing advocating for the Hispanic community of the Lehigh Valley.” -Raymond Santiago, Executive Director, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley “We wanted to model what it looks like for two organizations to join forces in a non-competitive way to build upon the work of the other. This merger honors the history of advocacy efforts around education, health equity, and leadership made by our founders and members, while also re-imagining what those efforts look like today when funding and support for the Latino community is being threatened, nationally and locally.” -Janine Carambot Santoro, President, Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley Moving forward, the merged organization will continue to operate under the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley name, working closely with community leaders, partners, and local organizations to foster intercultural understanding and improve self-sufficiency. All current programs, including the Food Pantry, Social Services, Workforce Development, and Senior Center, will remain available to the public.

About the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley

Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley (HCLV) has served the Lehigh Valley’s low-income and Hispanic/Latino communities since 1968. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of lives of families (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) by empowering them to become more self-sufficient, while promoting an intercultural understanding in the Lehigh Valley. HCLV’s signature programs include the Social Service Program, which provides` case management services that focus on personal growth and financial independence; the Food Pantry, open five days a week to provide appointment-based services for eligible clients from Northampton County; the Basilio Huertas Senior Center, which provides local seniors with resources to stay active and independent including nutritious breakfast and lunch, social and educational activities, health screenings, and assistance navigating health and human services; the Linguistic and Cultural Workforce Development Center, which provides skill-based training programs for high-priority occupations, and employability skills training to improve job-seeking and job-keeping abilities with the goal to break the cycle of poverty.