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Informal conversations in an auditorium during the DCF's Latino Communities in Sussex County event

New DCF Report Highlights Complexities and Contributions of Latino Communities in Sussex County

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, October 9th, 2019

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At its Oct. 7 Focus Conversation event in Georgetown, held in partnership with La Colectiva de Delaware, the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) released Perspectives on the Latino Population in Sussex County, Delaware, the result of a research project commissioned by the DCF and conducted by researchers at the University of Delaware. The report will serve as a resource for nonprofit organizations, funders, community leaders and others striving to engage and advance this important segment of the community.

The report shows that, with a population of over 20,000, Sussex County Latino communities contribute more than $50 million in tax revenue to Delaware annually. There are more than 800 Latino-owned businesses in the county. Sussex County Latinos are buying homes, holding jobs, and going to school and church. However, they still face challenges related to language and cultural differences, unfamiliarity with U.S. systems and processes, immigration status and more.

The research team identified important moments that can be leveraged by community members, nonprofits, and pro bono services to build opportunity, including through culturally sensitive and bilingual programs and services for immigration assistance, college and financial aid navigation, public transportation improvements, home buying, business training, and banking.

DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay describes the report’s findings as encouraging and inspiring. “Sussex County’s vibrant and diverse Latino community is bringing new passion to the belief in the American Dream.”

The report was researched and written by Drs. Jennifer Fuqua and April Veness at the University of Delaware with the support of a grant from CFLeads to the DCF. The study was completed in collaboration with Dr. Christine Cannon, executive director of the Arsht-Cannon Fund at the DCF; La Colectiva de Delaware; La Esperanza; and many other partners.

For more information and to view the complete report and accompanying materials, visit delcf.org/sussex-latinos. Report materials are available in both Spanish and English.

Photo by John Mollura Photography

The American Dream in Sussex County

Posted by Stuart Comstock-Gay

· Wednesday, September 25th, 2019

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Delaware’s Latino population is growing and it’s growing fast. And that’s a good thing.

On Oct. 7, the DCF will be releasing a new report entitled Perspectives on the Latino Population in Sussex County, Delaware.

What we find is encouraging and inspiring. Now exceeding 20,000 people, Sussex County’s vibrant and diverse Latino community is bringing new passion to the belief in the American Dream.

“I raised smart and determined kids who don’t give up,” said Julia Roque, who immigrated from Puerto Rico in the 1970s. “They make me happy.”

Her children are now pursuing careers in communications, the military and nursing. Julia and her family are just one example.

The Sussex County Latino community contributes more than $50 million in tax revenue to Delaware annually. There are more than 800 Latino-owned businesses in the county. Nearly 25% of Sussex County Latinos aged 25 or older have earned college credits – 75% of them are women. They are learning English at breakneck speed, buying homes, holding down jobs, going to school and church, leading local sports leagues, and building community.

This is what America was built on. While many of us are grappling with whether the American Dream is still possible, the Latino community in Sussex County is living it. I’ve long expressed my continued belief in idea of the American Dream. This report gives me even more confidence that it has not vanished.

The report will be posted soon. In the meantime, you can sign up here for the Oct. 7 community conversation in Georgetown, where the report will be discussed.

This report, which was written by Drs. Jennifer Fuqua and April Veness at the University of Delaware, would not be possible without the support of a grant from CFLeads; the partnership and inspiration of Dr. Christine Cannon and the Arsht-Cannon Fund; the community leadership of La Esperanza and La Colectiva; and members of the Sussex County community.

Field of Interest Funds: Hitting the Target, Now and Forever

Posted by Stuart Comstock-Gay

· Friday, August 10th, 2018

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Here is another post about working with DCF, and why it can be a great way to achieve charitable goals…this one describes the Field of Interest fund.

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We all have passions that drive us, that occupy a space in our heart and motivate us to improve the world. One way to address those passions – and invest in our community’s future – is through the Field of Interest Fund. These funds are designed by the donor to focus gifts in an area that is important to them, such as protecting the environment, supporting educational advances, or expanding access to the arts. And then, instruct the DCF board and staff to make sure good grants are made on that issue now and in the future.

It’s a way to narrow philanthropic giving, but keep your donation flexible enough to meet the changing needs of the community. The fund type allows for long-term community impact on issues that matter, while providing immediate benefit for the donor in the form of a tax deduction at the time the gift is made.

Think of it as hitting the target without having to nail the bullseye.

Here’s how it works:

1. Donors identify an area of personal interest, as broad or narrow as desired. (DCF staff can help narrow the focus if you wish). For example, the Jonathan Moyed CARE Fund, established at the DCF in 2001, is focused on innovative and creative ways to provide/support long term health programs for Delawareans. The DCF researches the organizations doing effective work in this important area and awards grants to make the greatest impact possible. Over the years, Moyed CARE fund has supported the Mary Campbell Center, Ingleside Homes, Nanticoke Health Services and other important organizations.

2. Donors create the endowed fund at DCF with a gift of cash, securities, or other property worth $15,000 or more. That gift becomes a permanent source of community funding, targeting the donor’s area of interest. Donors can add more funds at any time.

3. The DCF board awards grants to community organizations and programs that are making a difference in the selected area of interest. All the while, DCF handles the administrative requirements for the fund, including managing the fund assets and overseeing the fund’s investment.

There’s a lot of great work being done in philanthropy today. A field of interest fund is a great way to not only protect and promote the issues you care about, but also to ensure they get the support they need in the future.

It’s hitting the target — even from far away.

Inspiration

Posted by Stuart Comstock-Gay

· Friday, February 9th, 2018

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I hardly know where to begin.

For the first time ever, community foundations from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico held a summit in Mexico City last week – to discuss common concerns and strategies, and how we can work together. My mind is overflowing with inspiration ideas, questions and plans.

Following are three projects which have fired my imagination.

Community Foundations are all about improving quality of life, equity, social capital, and strengthening our social fabric, our “connectedness.” That means addressing many different issues and how they’re interrelated. In 2015, the United Nations created a framework called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help us think and talk about those big goals – and the smaller goals to help us achieve the big ones. Importantly, the goals were developed in an inclusive process, engaging hundreds of thousands of people across the world.

The result is a set of 17 specific, measurable goals, with 169 identifiable and achievable targets, in areas such as poverty, hunger, gender equality, health, energy, climate change, and equality.

Sixty-four countries are already voluntarily reporting their progress; over 9,500 companies are signatories on a compact, pledging commitment to the SDGs; more than 65 mayors have agreed to implement them. The goals haven’t taken root in Delaware yet, but the framework – while massive – can provide a valuable touchstone for the work many of us engage in. Many community foundations around the globe have adopted one or another of the goals to guide their work.

And here’s amazing very cool way to start. The Foundation Center’s Indicator Wizard allows us to enter our goals – the things we’re working on here in Delaware – and it will identify which of the SDGs we fit in – and what the global targets are. Check it out.

Mapping the Latino and Hispanic communities in our region. The Boston Foundation, working in collaboration with a new initiative of CFLeads, (funded by the Inter-American Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation), has developed a powerful map of the Latino community in their region. Where is their Latino population from? What countries and cities? What kind of work are the communities involved in, what education levels, what needs?

The results are inspiring new projects, new funds, and new focus areas for that foundation.

The mapping itself is a model we are going to look at here in Delaware as we begin to focus in on the needs and interests of our own fast-growing Latino community.

Finally… On the Table. I’ve been terribly impressed by these community conversation “On the Table” projects – which have been organized by community foundations in dozens of cities across the U.S. The model – citizens hosting discussions about whatever matters – is deeply important. It re-introduces the idea that all of our voices matter, and the fundamental concept that talking with each other will help us become community again. The project in Chicago is most impressive. Last May almost 100,000 Chicago-area folks participated through social media, at workshops, or mealtime conversations. Philadelphia held their first on the table last spring, at which over 150 host locations brought people together. I hope we’ll be able to share more about this idea in the future. (If you’re interested in thinking about this, too, let me know.)

There are endless opportunities for good work, and boundless good ideas, and we’re keeping our eyes open for projects that will help us sharpen our DelawareFocus indicators website, and make a difference in the state. These three are certainly in the discussion.

Arsht-Cannon Fund Increases Access to Mental Health Services for Delaware Hispanics

Posted by Allison Levine

· Monday, February 5th, 2018

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With the help of a $75,000 grant from the Arsht-Cannon Fund at the DCF, the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Delaware (NAMI-Delaware) is now helping address the mental health needs of Delaware’s growing Hispanic population by providing bilingual, bicultural services from its new Georgetown office.

This two-year program grant is the latest installment of the Arsht-Cannon Fund’s $200,000 NAMI-Delaware Hispanic Services Initiative, a multi-year investment to provide mental health care for Hispanic adults and families coping with mental illness.

Many Hispanics face mental illness due to high levels of stress for prolonged periods of time, driven by fears about their ability to meet basic needs and potential for separation from loved ones through deportation.

NAMI-DE’s website offers information in Spanish.

Negative effects of mental illness are compounded for Hispanics because of the current political environment, cultural stigmas, and limited access to care, particularly bilingual and culturally sensitive care.

“Mothers started feeling scared,” said Blanca Sandoval, a Spanish-speaking Sussex County native, who directs the NAMI-Delaware Hispanic program. “They started keeping their children out of school. They thought their husbands would be taken off their jobs and they would never see them again.”

Over the past 10 years, the ACF, NAMI-Delaware and several other nonprofits have been working in partnership on a variety of programs to increase access to mental health services to Hispanic families in Kent and Sussex County. This work is part of the ACF’s multimillion-dollar investment in improving quality of life for Hispanic Delawareans.

Now, via NAMI-Delaware’s Georgetown office, Hispanic Delawareans can receive services in their native language. Sandoval is coordinating “Sharing Hope/Compartiendo Esperanza,” a series of Spanish-language presentations about the symptoms of mental illness. She also is working with other nonprofits to develop a sequence of workshops addressing issues that often go hand in hand with mental health needs, such as domestic violence.

Through this outreach, Delaware Hispanics are becoming more familiar with mental health issues and the care available. And most importantly, they are gaining confidence that they are safe because NAMI-Delaware provides confidential services, said Anne Slease, NAMI-Delaware director of advocacy and education.

“Many people stopped seeking help. They stopped seeing doctors. They thought their information would be passed on,” Slease said. “This is a big turning point. This is traction. We’re making connections in the community.”

In addition to building trust and offering Spanish-language services, unique cultural sensitivity is needed to work with the Hispanic population because of the significant stigma around mental health issues, Sandoval said.

“The words mental illness can’t even be mentioned when I talk to people,” she said. “The way I approach people is I tell them we have help for depression or anxiety or trauma.”

As she builds trust through visits to festivals, health fairs, churches and other community events, Sandoval is also searching for volunteers to facilitate and expand the popular support groups. She’s also looking for bilingual counselors and therapists to volunteer to work individually with people who are struggling with their mental health needs.

“It’s really critical to partner with the Arsht-Cannon Fund,” Sandoval said. “We’re getting funding to help a vulnerable population.”

The work to expand mental health services for Hispanics in southern Delaware is just one of many nonprofit programs supported by the Arsht-Cannon Fund, said ACF Executive Director Christine Cannon, Ph.D.

“I am very proud to say that our funding (over $9 million since 2003) has increased the number, the size and the statewide availability of programs/nonprofits that support educational opportunities and healthcare access for Delaware’s growing number of Hispanic families,” Cannon said.

“And in supporting the success of Delaware’s Hispanic families, we’re supporting the success of all Delawareans.”

The Arsht-Cannon Fund is one of the more than 1,200 charitable funds at DCF, all working to make Delaware the best it can be. For information about how you can open your charitable fund at the DCF, contact Joan Hoge-North, 302.504.5224.

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