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WHAT:
Itsia Delgado never expected to have to leave Puerto Rico, but in 2017, after Hurricane Maria damaged her family’s home and destroyed her children’s school, she and her two sons, José and Jatniel, were in need of help. Looking to start over, the Delgado family evacuated to Orlando and were greeted by staff of the city of Orlando’s Hispanic Office for Local Assistance (HOLA), one of more than 40 different agencies, set up at the Disaster Relief Center at the Orlando International Airport to provide assistance. Through her interactions with HOLA, Delgado has been connected with healthcare services for her family and various resources during COVID. She calls HOLA regularly and shares that "HOLA is part of my family now."
On Thursday, April 4, 2024, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioners will host a 20th Anniversary Celebration to honor the work of the City of Orlando’s Hispanic Office for Local Assistance (HOLA) in helping people just like the Delgados. Since opening its doors in 2004, HOLA has served as a one-stop resource center providing bilingual and culturally competent services to more than 200,000 residents, visitors and newcomers from different cultural backgrounds and connecting them with more than 100 different government and community organizations to find jobs, housing, healthcare, education and other services.
At the celebration, the Delgados will join with other families who have been helped by HOLA resources, in addition to community partners who will be featured for their assistance and impacts they’ve made on city residents, like Delia Mercado with Second Harvest Food Bank and Peter Baez and Aixa Machuca with Eben-ezer Ministries, who help provide food to families on a weekly basis.
In addition to the celebration on Thursday, HOLA will host a Community Open House on Friday, April 19, 2024, which will feature informational sessions and tours of the HOLA office. These events showcase the important role HOLA plays in the city of Orlando and furthers the city’s multicultural efforts to ensure Orlando is a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community.
WHEN &. WHERE:
HOLA 20th Anniversary Celebration:
Thursday, April 4, 2024
4 p.m.
Orlando City Hall, Fairview Room, 9th floor, 400 South Orange Avenue
Community Open House:
Friday, April 19, 2024
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Hispanic Office for Local Assistance, 595 North Primrose Drive
WHO:
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
City Commissioners
Ana Cruz, HOLA Coordinator
Delia Mercado, Second Harvest Food Bank Benefits Connection Program Outreach Specialist
Peter Baez and Aixa Machuca, Eben-ezer Ministries
Itsia Delgado, City Resident and HOLA Client
MEDIA INFO & RSVP:
Media planning to attend these events should RSVP with Luis M. Martinez at 407.383.2073 or by email at luis.martinez@orlando.gov.
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