NEW LIFE
NEW BEGINNINGS
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13: 1-2
Blessings,
The day was pretty typical with calls and clients dropping in at a slow pace. I was working on a project when I was told of the emotional phone call that April Ross, Educational Coordinator, had when she gave the recipient the good news.
A young Latina high school graduate had just been awarded the full amount of $2,500 from the Loomis Scholarship Fund. The reaction of the young Latina student was filled with tears of joy. She was overwhelmed with appreciation for the financial help to begin her university career. Along with other financial help, she will be the first in her family to go to university.
On the 15th of this month, we begin the month-long celebration of Latino/Hispanic heritage. A time to celebrate the many Latino Cultures present across the U.S. There is significance to having the heritage month begin in the middle of the month. Let us take a quick historical journey. September 15, 1821, marks the day when five Central American countries declared independence from Spain. Mexican Independence is September 16, 1810, eleven years earlier. It marks the day when Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo called for independence from Spain in the “Grito de Dolores” (the cry from Dolores, a small town in what is now known as Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico). The majority of countries in South America have their respective independence days between the months of May and September and between the years 1810 -1825.
When you think of heritage, what comes to mind? One definition is that, “A family’s heritage is their shared culture, history, religion, artifacts, and general way of life.” We are a global family … people in a common society with hopes, dreams, failures, and successes. Our collective common heritage points humanity towards that which is a better society for all. We recall where we have come from, where we are, and where we would like to go.
My heritage can be described as a mosaic life of rice and beans and meat and potatoes. What is your heritage story? Most likely migration is part of that heritage. For many, the migration story is several generations back, for others, it is as recent as yesterday. There are commonalities, no matter the century; each is seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
The Loomis Scholarship Fund helps to make life better, one recipient at a time, in the lives of Latino young people wanting to pursue a better life. All of us have our heritage story. The heritage of the scholarship recipient above is vibrant and full of possibilities. She now has the opportunity to advance her life through a university education, while gaining appreciation for her Latina heritage, as she begins a new chapter of her story.
The staff at Caminando Juntos would like to thank you for walking with us as we continue to keep in focus our primary purpose … to help create a welcoming presence and respond to the needs of the newer Latino migrant as they seek to adjust and become successful in a new culture. Your ongoing prayers and financial support help us to be a welcoming presence, daily. As you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us, remember the young Latina, a student who has been given an opportunity for a better life, through the Loomis Scholarship Fund. Your financial gifts make it possible for us to provide assistance to all who come through our doors.
Thank you.
Matthew Tschetter
Executive Director
